Sample records for validly published species

  1. Evidence of Construct Validity in Published Achievement Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolet, Victor; Tindal, Gerald

    Valid interpretation of test scores is the shared responsibility of the test designer and the test user. Test publishers must provide evidence of the validity of the decisions their tests are intended to support, while test users are responsible for analyzing this evidence and subsequently using the test in the manner indicated by the publisher.…

  2. Validation List no. 117. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2007-09-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  3. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2010-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries. It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  4. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2008-09-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  5. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2008-07-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  6. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  7. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2008-03-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  8. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2008-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  9. PACIC Instrument: disentangling dimensions using published validation models.

    PubMed

    Iglesias, K; Burnand, B; Peytremann-Bridevaux, I

    2014-06-01

    To better understand the structure of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) instrument. More specifically to test all published validation models, using one single data set and appropriate statistical tools. Validation study using data from cross-sectional survey. A population-based sample of non-institutionalized adults with diabetes residing in Switzerland (canton of Vaud). French version of the 20-items PACIC instrument (5-point response scale). We conducted validation analyses using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The original five-dimension model and other published models were tested with three types of CFA: based on (i) a Pearson estimator of variance-covariance matrix, (ii) a polychoric correlation matrix and (iii) a likelihood estimation with a multinomial distribution for the manifest variables. All models were assessed using loadings and goodness-of-fit measures. The analytical sample included 406 patients. Mean age was 64.4 years and 59% were men. Median of item responses varied between 1 and 4 (range 1-5), and range of missing values was between 5.7 and 12.3%. Strong floor and ceiling effects were present. Even though loadings of the tested models were relatively high, the only model showing acceptable fit was the 11-item single-dimension model. PACIC was associated with the expected variables of the field. Our results showed that the model considering 11 items in a single dimension exhibited the best fit for our data. A single score, in complement to the consideration of single-item results, might be used instead of the five dimensions usually described. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

  10. Validation list no. 113. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  11. Validation list no. 114. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2007-03-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  12. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2007-07-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  13. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2007-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper, to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  14. Is Echinococcus intermedius a valid species?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Medical and veterinary sciences require scientific names to discriminate pathogenic organisms in our living environment. Various species concepts have been proposed for metazoan animals. There are, however, constant controversies over their validity because of lack of a common criterion to define ...

  15. Biological growth functions describe published site index curves for Lake States timber species.

    Treesearch

    Allen L. Lundgren; William A. Dolid

    1970-01-01

    Two biological growth functions, an exponential-monomolecular function and a simple monomolecular function, have been fit to published site index curves for 11 Lake States tree species: red, jack, and white pine, balsam fir, white and black spruce, tamarack, white-cedar, aspen, red oak, and paper birch. Both functions closely fit all published curves except those for...

  16. Publishing nutrition research: validity, reliability, and diagnostic test assessment in nutrition-related research.

    PubMed

    Gleason, Philip M; Harris, Jeffrey; Sheean, Patricia M; Boushey, Carol J; Bruemmer, Barbara

    2010-03-01

    This is the sixth in a series of monographs on research design and analysis. The purpose of this article is to describe and discuss several concepts related to the measurement of nutrition-related characteristics and outcomes, including validity, reliability, and diagnostic tests. The article reviews the methodologic issues related to capturing the various aspects of a given nutrition measure's reliability, including test-retest, inter-item, and interobserver or inter-rater reliability. Similarly, it covers content validity, indicators of absolute vs relative validity, and internal vs external validity. With respect to diagnostic assessment, the article summarizes the concepts of sensitivity and specificity. The hope is that dietetics practitioners will be able to both use high-quality measures of nutrition concepts in their research and recognize these measures in research completed by others. Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. List of anopheline species with published illustrations and/or descriptions of eggs (Diptera: Culicidae: Anophelinae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Species of the mosquito subfamily Anophelinae with published illustrations and/or morphological descriptions of the egg stage are listed with their literature citations. Species of the subfamily have the egg stage better known than those in most tribes of family Culicidae....

  18. Korean indigenous bacterial species with valid names belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria.

    PubMed

    Bae, Kyung Sook; Kim, Mi Sun; Lee, Ji Hee; Kang, Joo Won; Kim, Dae In; Lee, Ji Hee; Seong, Chi Nam

    2016-12-01

    To understand the isolation and classification state of actinobacterial species with valid names for Korean indigenous isolates, isolation source, regional origin, and taxonomic affiliation of the isolates were studied. At the time of this writing, the phylum Actinobacteria consisted of only one class, Actinobacteria, including five subclasses, 10 orders, 56 families, and 330 genera. Moreover, new taxa of this phylum continue to be discovered. Korean actinobacterial species with a valid name has been reported from 1995 as Tsukamurella inchonensis isolated from a clinical specimen. In 1997, Streptomyces seoulensis was validated with the isolate from the natural Korean environment. Until Feb. 2016, 256 actinobacterial species with valid names originated from Korean territory were listed on LPSN. The species were affiliated with three subclasses (Acidimicrobidae, Actinobacteridae, and Rubrobacteridae), four orders (Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Bifidobacteriales, and Solirubrobacterales), 12 suborders, 36 families, and 93 genera. Most of the species belonged to the subclass Actinobacteridae, and almost of the members of this subclass were affiliated with the order Actinomycetales. A number of novel isolates belonged to the families Nocardioidaceae, Microbacteriaceae, Intrasporangiaceae, and Streptomycetaceae as well as the genera Nocardioides, Streptomyces, and Microbacterium. Twenty-six novel genera and one novel family, Motilibacteraceae, were created first with Korean indigenous isolates. Most of the Korean indigenous actionobacterial species were isolated from natural environments such as soil, seawater, tidal flat sediment, and fresh-water. A considerable number of species were isolated from artificial resources such as fermented foods, wastewater, compost, biofilm, and water-cooling systems or clinical specimens. Korean indigenous actinobacterial species were isolated from whole territory of Korea, and especially a large number of species were from Jeju

  19. The global catalogue of microorganisms 10K type strain sequencing project: closing the genomic gaps for the validly published prokaryotic and fungi species.

    PubMed

    Wu, Linhuan; McCluskey, Kevin; Desmeth, Philippe; Liu, Shuangjiang; Hideaki, Sugawara; Yin, Ye; Moriya, Ohkuma; Itoh, Takashi; Kim, Cha Young; Lee, Jung-Sook; Zhou, Yuguang; Kawasaki, Hiroko; Hazbón, Manzour Hernando; Robert, Vincent; Boekhout, Teun; Lima, Nelson; Evtushenko, Lyudmila; Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Bunk, Boyke; Moore, Edward R B; Eurwilaichitr, Lily; Ingsriswang, Supawadee; Shah, Heena; Yao, Su; Jin, Tao; Huang, Jinqun; Shi, Wenyu; Sun, Qinglan; Fan, Guomei; Li, Wei; Li, Xian; Kurtböke, Ipek; Ma, Juncai

    2018-05-01

    Genomic information is essential for taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional studies to comprehensively decipher the characteristics of microorganisms, to explore microbiomes through metagenomics, and to answer fundamental questions of nature and human life. However, large gaps remain in the available genomic sequencing information published for bacterial and archaeal species, and the gaps are even larger for fungal type strains. The Global Catalogue of Microorganisms (GCM) leads an internationally coordinated effort to sequence type strains and close gaps in the genomic maps of microorganisms. Hence, the GCM aims to promote research by deep-mining genomic data.

  20. Validation list no. 110. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2006-07-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  1. A validated methodology for genetic identification of tuna species (genus Thunnus).

    PubMed

    Viñas, Jordi; Tudela, Sergi

    2009-10-27

    Tuna species of the genus Thunnus, such as the bluefin tunas, are some of the most important and yet most endangered trade fish in the world. Identification of these species in traded forms, however, may be difficult depending on the presentation of the products, which may hamper conservation efforts on trade control. In this paper, we validated a genetic methodology that can fully distinguish between the eight Thunnus species from any kind of processed tissue. After testing several genetic markers, a complete discrimination of the eight tuna species was achieved using Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing based primarily on the sequence variability of the hypervariable genetic marker mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA CR), followed, in some specific cases, by a second validation by a nuclear marker rDNA first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1). This methodology was able to distinguish all tuna species, including those belonging to the subgenus Neothunnus that are very closely related, and in consequence can not be differentiated with other genetic markers of lower variability. This methodology also took into consideration the presence of introgression that has been reported in past studies between T. thynnus, T. orientalis and T. alalunga. Finally, we applied the methodology to cross-check the species identity of 26 processed tuna samples. Using the combination of two genetic markers, one mitochondrial and another nuclear, allows a full discrimination between all eight tuna species. Unexpectedly, the genetic marker traditionally used for DNA barcoding, cytochrome oxidase 1, could not differentiate all species, thus its use as a genetic marker for tuna species identification is questioned.

  2. Validity and Reliability of Published Comprehensive Theory of Mind Tests for Normal Preschool Children: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Ziatabar Ahmadi, Seyyede Zohreh; Jalaie, Shohreh; Ashayeri, Hassan

    2015-09-01

    Theory of mind (ToM) or mindreading is an aspect of social cognition that evaluates mental states and beliefs of oneself and others. Validity and reliability are very important criteria when evaluating standard tests; and without them, these tests are not usable. The aim of this study was to systematically review the validity and reliability of published English comprehensive ToM tests developed for normal preschool children. We searched MEDLINE (PubMed interface), Web of Science, Science direct, PsycINFO, and also evidence base Medicine (The Cochrane Library) databases from 1990 to June 2015. Search strategy was Latin transcription of 'Theory of Mind' AND test AND children. Also, we manually studied the reference lists of all final searched articles and carried out a search of their references. Inclusion criteria were as follows: Valid and reliable diagnostic ToM tests published from 1990 to June 2015 for normal preschool children; and exclusion criteria were as follows: the studies that only used ToM tests and single tasks (false belief tasks) for ToM assessment and/or had no description about structure, validity or reliability of their tests. METHODological quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). In primary searching, we found 1237 articles in total databases. After removing duplicates and applying all inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 11 tests for this systematic review. There were a few valid, reliable and comprehensive ToM tests for normal preschool children. However, we had limitations concerning the included articles. The defined ToM tests were different in populations, tasks, mode of presentations, scoring, mode of responses, times and other variables. Also, they had various validities and reliabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the researchers and clinicians select the ToM tests according to their psychometric characteristics, validity and reliability.

  3. Validity and Reliability of Published Comprehensive Theory of Mind Tests for Normal Preschool Children: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Ziatabar Ahmadi, Seyyede Zohreh; Jalaie, Shohreh; Ashayeri, Hassan

    2015-01-01

    Objective: Theory of mind (ToM) or mindreading is an aspect of social cognition that evaluates mental states and beliefs of oneself and others. Validity and reliability are very important criteria when evaluating standard tests; and without them, these tests are not usable. The aim of this study was to systematically review the validity and reliability of published English comprehensive ToM tests developed for normal preschool children. Method: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed interface), Web of Science, Science direct, PsycINFO, and also evidence base Medicine (The Cochrane Library) databases from 1990 to June 2015. Search strategy was Latin transcription of ‘Theory of Mind’ AND test AND children. Also, we manually studied the reference lists of all final searched articles and carried out a search of their references. Inclusion criteria were as follows: Valid and reliable diagnostic ToM tests published from 1990 to June 2015 for normal preschool children; and exclusion criteria were as follows: the studies that only used ToM tests and single tasks (false belief tasks) for ToM assessment and/or had no description about structure, validity or reliability of their tests. Methodological quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Result: In primary searching, we found 1237 articles in total databases. After removing duplicates and applying all inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 11 tests for this systematic review. Conclusion: There were a few valid, reliable and comprehensive ToM tests for normal preschool children. However, we had limitations concerning the included articles. The defined ToM tests were different in populations, tasks, mode of presentations, scoring, mode of responses, times and other variables. Also, they had various validities and reliabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the researchers and clinicians select the ToM tests according to their psychometric characteristics

  4. Species in tribes Ficalbiini, Hodgesiini and Orthopodomyiini with published illustrations and/or descriptions of eggs (Diptera: Culicidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Species of the mosquito tribes Ficalbiini, Hodgesiini and Orthopodomyiini with published illustrations and/or morphological descriptions of the egg stage are listed with their literature citations....

  5. A Validated Methodology for Genetic Identification of Tuna Species (Genus Thunnus)

    PubMed Central

    Viñas, Jordi; Tudela, Sergi

    2009-01-01

    Background Tuna species of the genus Thunnus, such as the bluefin tunas, are some of the most important and yet most endangered trade fish in the world. Identification of these species in traded forms, however, may be difficult depending on the presentation of the products, which may hamper conservation efforts on trade control. In this paper, we validated a genetic methodology that can fully distinguish between the eight Thunnus species from any kind of processed tissue. Methodology After testing several genetic markers, a complete discrimination of the eight tuna species was achieved using Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing based primarily on the sequence variability of the hypervariable genetic marker mitochondrial DNA control region (mtDNA CR), followed, in some specific cases, by a second validation by a nuclear marker rDNA first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1). This methodology was able to distinguish all tuna species, including those belonging to the subgenus Neothunnus that are very closely related, and in consequence can not be differentiated with other genetic markers of lower variability. This methodology also took into consideration the presence of introgression that has been reported in past studies between T. thynnus, T. orientalis and T. alalunga. Finally, we applied the methodology to cross-check the species identity of 26 processed tuna samples. Conclusions Using the combination of two genetic markers, one mitochondrial and another nuclear, allows a full discrimination between all eight tuna species. Unexpectedly, the genetic marker traditionally used for DNA barcoding, cytochrome oxidase 1, could not differentiate all species, thus its use as a genetic marker for tuna species identification is questioned. PMID:19898615

  6. Development and validation of a multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method to identify endangered species in complex samples.

    PubMed

    Arulandhu, Alfred J; Staats, Martijn; Hagelaar, Rico; Voorhuijzen, Marleen M; Prins, Theo W; Scholtens, Ingrid; Costessi, Adalberto; Duijsings, Danny; Rechenmann, François; Gaspar, Frédéric B; Barreto Crespo, Maria Teresa; Holst-Jensen, Arne; Birck, Matthew; Burns, Malcolm; Haynes, Edward; Hochegger, Rupert; Klingl, Alexander; Lundberg, Lisa; Natale, Chiara; Niekamp, Hauke; Perri, Elena; Barbante, Alessandra; Rosec, Jean-Philippe; Seyfarth, Ralf; Sovová, Tereza; Van Moorleghem, Christoff; van Ruth, Saskia; Peelen, Tamara; Kok, Esther

    2017-10-01

    DNA metabarcoding provides great potential for species identification in complex samples such as food supplements and traditional medicines. Such a method would aid Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) enforcement officers to combat wildlife crime by preventing illegal trade of endangered plant and animal species. The objective of this research was to develop a multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method for forensic wildlife species identification and to evaluate the applicability and reproducibility of this approach across different laboratories. A DNA metabarcoding method was developed that makes use of 12 DNA barcode markers that have demonstrated universal applicability across a wide range of plant and animal taxa and that facilitate the identification of species in samples containing degraded DNA. The DNA metabarcoding method was developed based on Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing of well-defined experimental mixtures, for which a bioinformatics pipeline with user-friendly web-interface was developed. The performance of the DNA metabarcoding method was assessed in an international validation trial by 16 laboratories, in which the method was found to be highly reproducible and sensitive enough to identify species present in a mixture at 1% dry weight content. The advanced multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method assessed in this study provides reliable and detailed data on the composition of complex food products, including information on the presence of CITES-listed species. The method can provide improved resolution for species identification, while verifying species with multiple DNA barcodes contributes to an enhanced quality assurance. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  7. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  8. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    2006-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  9. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2006-09-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  10. Validation list no. 98. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-07-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  11. Taxonomic evaluation of selected Ganoderma species and database sequence validation

    PubMed Central

    Jargalmaa, Suldbold; Eimes, John A.; Park, Myung Soo; Park, Jae Young; Oh, Seung-Yoon

    2017-01-01

    Species in the genus Ganoderma include several ecologically important and pathogenic fungal species whose medicinal and economic value is substantial. Due to the highly similar morphological features within the Ganoderma, identification of species has relied heavily on DNA sequencing using BLAST searches, which are only reliable if the GenBank submissions are accurately labeled. In this study, we examined 113 specimens collected from 1969 to 2016 from various regions in Korea using morphological features and multigene analysis (internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor 1-α, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II). These specimens were identified as four Ganoderma species: G. sichuanense, G. cf. adspersum, G. cf. applanatum, and G. cf. gibbosum. With the exception of G. sichuanense, these species were difficult to distinguish based solely on morphological features. However, phylogenetic analysis at three different loci yielded concordant phylogenetic information, and supported the four species distinctions with high bootstrap support. A survey of over 600 Ganoderma sequences available on GenBank revealed that 65% of sequences were either misidentified or ambiguously labeled. Here, we suggest corrected annotations for GenBank sequences based on our phylogenetic validation and provide updated global distribution patterns for these Ganoderma species. PMID:28761785

  12. Species of tribes Orthopodomyiini, Toxorhynchitini and Uranotaeniini (Diptera: Culicidae: Culicinae) with published illustrations and/or descriptions of female genitalia

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Examples are provided for species of the mosquito tribes Orthopodomyiini, Toxorhynchitini and Uranotaeniini with published illustrations and/or descriptions of the female genitalia and include corresponding literature citations....

  13. Species of tribes Aedeomyiini, Culisetini and Ficalbiini (Diptera: Culicidae: Culicinae) with published illustrations and/or descriptions of female genitalia

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Examples are provided for species of the mosquito tribes Aedeomyiini, Culisetini and Ficalbiini with published illustrations and/or descriptions of the female genitalia and include corresponding literature citations....

  14. Mesocosm validation of the marine No Effect Concentration of dissolved copper derived from a species sensitivity distribution.

    PubMed

    Foekema, E M; Kaag, N H B M; Kramer, K J M; Long, K

    2015-07-15

    The Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) for dissolved copper based on the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) of 24 marine single species tests was validated in marine mesocosms. To achieve this, the impact of actively maintained concentrations of dissolved copper on a marine benthic and planktonic community was studied in 18 outdoor 4.6m(3) mesocosms. Five treatment levels, ranging from 2.9 to 31μg dissolved Cu/L, were created in triplicate and maintained for 82days. Clear effects were observed on gastropod and bivalve molluscs, phytoplankton, zooplankton, sponges and sessile algae. The most sensitive biological endpoints; reproduction success of the bivalve Cerastoderma edule, copepod population development and periphyton growth were significantly affected at concentrations of 9.9μg Cu/L and higher. The No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) derived from this study was 5.7μg dissolved Cu/L. Taking into account the DOC concentration of the mesocosm water this NOEC is comparable to the PNEC derived from the SSD. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Molecular identification of python species: development and validation of a novel assay for forensic investigations.

    PubMed

    Ciavaglia, Sherryn A; Tobe, Shanan S; Donnellan, Stephen C; Henry, Julianne M; Linacre, Adrian M T

    2015-05-01

    Python snake species are often encountered in illegal activities and the question of species identity can be pertinent to such criminal investigations. Morphological identification of species of pythons can be confounded by many issues and molecular examination by DNA analysis can provide an alternative and objective means of identification. Our paper reports on the development and validation of a PCR primer pair that amplifies a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene that has been suggested previously as a good candidate locus for differentiating python species. We used this DNA region to perform species identification of pythons, even when the template DNA was of poor quality, as might be the case with forensic evidentiary items. Validation tests are presented to demonstrate the characteristics of the assay. Tests involved the cross-species amplification of this marker in non-target species, minimum amount of DNA template required, effects of degradation on product amplification and a blind trial to simulate a casework scenario that provided 100% correct identity. Our results demonstrate that this assay performs reliably and robustly on pythons and can be applied directly to forensic investigations where the presence of a species of python is in question. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2003-11-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  17. Climate change vulnerability for species-Assessing the assessments.

    PubMed

    Wheatley, Christopher J; Beale, Colin M; Bradbury, Richard B; Pearce-Higgins, James W; Critchlow, Rob; Thomas, Chris D

    2017-09-01

    Climate change vulnerability assessments are commonly used to identify species at risk from global climate change, but the wide range of methodologies available makes it difficult for end users, such as conservation practitioners or policymakers, to decide which method to use as a basis for decision-making. In this study, we evaluate whether different assessments consistently assign species to the same risk categories and whether any of the existing methodologies perform well at identifying climate-threatened species. We compare the outputs of 12 climate change vulnerability assessment methodologies, using both real and simulated species, and validate the methods using historic data for British birds and butterflies (i.e. using historical data to assign risks and more recent data for validation). Our results show that the different vulnerability assessment methods are not consistent with one another; different risk categories are assigned for both the real and simulated sets of species. Validation of the different vulnerability assessments suggests that methods incorporating historic trend data into the assessment perform best at predicting distribution trends in subsequent time periods. This study demonstrates that climate change vulnerability assessments should not be used interchangeably due to the poor overall agreement between methods when considering the same species. The results of our validation provide more support for the use of trend-based rather than purely trait-based approaches, although further validation will be required as data become available. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Validation of the name Wolffia borealis (Lemnaceae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Problems with the valid publication of the species name Wolffia borealis, thought to have been published in 1977 for a duckweed from the United States and Canada, are discussed. The varietal name upon which W. borealis was presumably based, “W. brasiliensis var. borealis Engelm.”, did not exist in ...

  19. Biodiversity research in the "big data" era: GigaScience and Pensoft work together to publish the most data-rich species description.

    PubMed

    Edmunds, Scott C; Hunter, Chris I; Smith, Vincent; Stoev, Pavel; Penev, Lyubomir

    2013-10-28

    With the publication of the first eukaryotic species description, combining transcriptomic, DNA barcoding, and micro-CT imaging data, GigaScience and Pensoft demonstrate how classical taxonomic description of a new species can be enhanced by applying new generation molecular methods, and novel computing and imaging technologies. This 'holistic' approach in taxonomic description of a new species of cave-dwelling centipede is published in the Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ), with coordinated data release in the GigaScience GigaDB database.

  20. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  1. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2005-03-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  2. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  3. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-11-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  4. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2005-09-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  5. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-03-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  6. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    Euzéby, Jean

    2005-05-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  7. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2005-07-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  8. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  9. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSEM.

    PubMed

    2004-09-01

    The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries (i.e. documents certifying deposition and availability of type strains). It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below, and these authors' names will be included in the author index of the present issue and in the volume author index. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in bacteriological nomenclature. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.

  10. Electronic astronomical information handling and flexible publishing.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heck, A.

    The current dramatic evolution in information technology is bringing major modifications in the way scientists work and communicate. The concept of electronic information handling encompasses the diverse types of information, the different media, as well as the various communication methodologies and technologies. It ranges from the very collection of data until the final publication of results and sharing of knowledge. New problems and challenges result also from the new information culture, especially on legal, ethical, and educational grounds. Electronic publishing will have to diverge from an electronic version of contributions on paper and will be part of a more general flexible-publishing policy. The benefits of private publishing are questioned. The procedures for validating published material and for evaluating scientific activities will have to be adjusted too. Provision of electronic refereed information independently from commercial publishers in now feasible. Scientists and scientific institutions have now the possibility to run an efficient information server with validated (refereed) material without the help of a commercial publishers.

  11. Identification, validation and cross-species transferability of novel Lavandula EST-SSRs.

    PubMed

    Adal, Ayelign M; Demissie, Zerihun A; Mahmoud, Soheil S

    2015-04-01

    We identified and characterized EST-SSRs with strong discrimination power against Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia . The markers also showed considerable cross-species transferability rate into six related Lavandula species. Lavenders (Lavandula) are important economical crops grown around the globe for essential oil production. In an attempt to develop genetic markers for these plants, we analyzed over 13,000 unigenes developed from L. angustifolia and L. x intermedia EST databases, and identified 3,459 simple sequence repeats (SSR), which were dominated by trinucleotides (41.2 %) and dinucleotides (31.45 %). Approximately, 19 % of the unigenes contained at least one SSR marker, over 60 % of which were localized in the UTRs. Only 252 EST-SSRs were 18 bp or longer from which 31 loci were validated, and 24 amplified discrete fragments with 85 % polymorphism in L. x intermedia and L. angustifolia. The average number of alleles in L. x intermedia and L. angustifolia were 3.42 and 3.71 per marker with average PIC values of 0.47 and 0.52, respectively. These values suggest a moderate to strong level of informativeness for the markers, with some loci producing unique fingerprints. The cross-species transferability rate of the markers ranges 50-100 % across eight species. The utility of these markers was assessed in eight Lavandula species and 15 L. angustifolia and L. x intermedia cultivars, and the dendrogram deduced from their similarity indexes successfully delineated the species into their respective sections and the cultivars into their respective species. These markers have potential for application in fingerprinting, diversity studies and marker-assisted breeding of Lavandula.

  12. Biodiversity research in the “big data” era: GigaScience and Pensoft work together to publish the most data-rich species description

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    With the publication of the first eukaryotic species description, combining transcriptomic, DNA barcoding, and micro-CT imaging data, GigaScience and Pensoft demonstrate how classical taxonomic description of a new species can be enhanced by applying new generation molecular methods, and novel computing and imaging technologies. This 'holistic’ approach in taxonomic description of a new species of cave-dwelling centipede is published in the Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ), with coordinated data release in the GigaScience GigaDB database. PMID:24229463

  13. Success Is in the Details: Publishing To Validate Elementary Authors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chihak, Judy

    1999-01-01

    Describes Panther Paw Press, a school-based publishing program that is built on the efforts of teachers, parents, students, and a succession of supportive school principals. Discusses the details that make this publishing program work framed in the six goals articulated in the Panther Paw Press Handbook. (SR)

  14. The predictive validity of the MCAT for medical school performance and medical board licensing examinations: a meta-analysis of the published research.

    PubMed

    Donnon, Tyrone; Paolucci, Elizabeth Oddone; Violato, Claudio

    2007-01-01

    To conduct a meta-analysis of published studies to determine the predictive validity of the MCAT on medical school performance and medical board licensing examinations. The authors included all peer-reviewed published studies reporting empirical data on the relationship between MCAT scores and medical school performance or medical board licensing exam measures. Moderator variables, participant characteristics, and medical school performance/medical board licensing exam measures were extracted and reviewed separately by three reviewers using a standardized protocol. Medical school performance measures from 11 studies and medical board licensing examinations from 18 studies, for a total of 23 studies, were selected. A random-effects model meta-analysis of weighted effects sizes (r) resulted in (1) a predictive validity coefficient for the MCAT in the preclinical years of r = 0.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.54) and on the USMLE Step 1 of r = 0.60 (95% CI, 0.50-0.67); and (2) the biological sciences subtest as the best predictor of medical school performance in the preclinical years (r = 0.32 95% CI, 0.21-0.42) and on the USMLE Step 1 (r = 0.48 95% CI, 0.41-0.54). The predictive validity of the MCAT ranges from small to medium for both medical school performance and medical board licensing exam measures. The medical profession is challenged to develop screening and selection criteria with improved validity that can supplement the MCAT as an important criterion for admission to medical schools.

  15. Validation of the Nickel Biotic Ligand Model for Locally Relevant Species in Australian Freshwaters.

    PubMed

    Peters, Adam; Merrington, Graham; Schlekat, Christian; De Schamphelaere, Karel; Stauber, Jennifer; Batley, Graeme; Harford, Andrew; van Dam, Rick; Pease, Ceiwen; Mooney, Tom; Warne, Michael; Hickey, Chris; Glazebrook, Peter; Chapman, John; Smith, Ross; Krassoi, Rick

    2018-06-20

    Australian freshwaters have relatively low water hardness and different calcium to magnesium ratios compared with those in Europe. The hardness values of a substantial proportion of Australian freshwaters fall below the application boundary of the existing European nickel Biotic Ligand Models (NiBLMs) of 2 mg Ca/L. Toxicity testing was undertaken using Hydra viridissima to assess the predictive ability of the existing NiBLM for this species in extremely soft waters. This testing revealed an increased competitive effect of calcium and magnesium with nickel for binding to the biotic ligand in soft water (<10 mg CaCO 3 /L) than at higher water hardness. Modifications were made to the NiBLM by increasing the binding constants for Ca and Mg at the biotic ligand to account for softer waters encountered in Australia and the more important competitive effect of calcium and magnesium on nickel toxicity. To validate the modified NiBLM, ecotoxicity testing was performed on five Australian test species in five different natural Australian waters. Overall, no single water chemistry parameter was able to indicate the trends in toxicity to all of the test species. The modified NiBLMs were able to predict the toxicity of nickel to the test species in the validation studies in natural waters better than the existing NiBLMs. This work suggests that the overarching mechanisms defining nickel bioavailability to freshwater species are globally similar, and that NiBLMs can be used in all freshwater systems with minor modifications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  16. Validation of Blubber Progesterone Concentrations for Pregnancy Determination in Three Dolphin Species and a Porpoise

    PubMed Central

    Trego, Marisa L.; Kellar, Nicholas M.; Danil, Kerri

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies have validated the use of biopsies as a minimally invasive way to identify pregnant females in several species of wild cetaceans: Balaenaptera acutorostrata , Delphinus delphis , Lissodelphis borealis , and Lagenorhynchus obliquidens . These studies found that progesterone (P4) concentrations quantified from blubber attached to biopsy samples is diagnostic of pregnancy. Here we examine a broader group of cetacean species in efforts to investigate how progesterone levels vary between species with respect to pregnancy status. We compared P4 concentrations in blubber collected from fishery bycatch and beach-stranded specimens for 40 females of known reproductive condition from Delphinus capensis (n = 18), Stenella attenuata (n = 8), S . longirostris (n = 6), and Phocoenoides dalli (n = 8). The P4 concentrations were different (t = -7.1, p = 1.79E-08) between pregnant and non-pregnant animals in all species, with the mean blubber P4 concentration for pregnant animals 164 times higher than that of non-pregnant animals. There was no overlap in concentration levels between sexually immature or non-pregnant sexually mature animals and pregnant animals. No significant differences (F = 0.354, p = 0.559) were found between mature non-pregnant and immature D . capensis and P dalli , suggesting P4 level is not indicative of maturity state in female delphinoids. P4 concentrations in relation to reproductive state were remarkably similar across species. All samples were analyzed with two different enzyme immunoassay kits to gauge assay sensitivity to measure progesterone in small samples, such as biopsies. With the technique now validated for these cetacean species, blubber P4 is a reliable diagnostic of pregnancies across multiple species, and thus expands the utility of this method to study reproduction in free-ranging cetaceans using biopsies. PMID:23936083

  17. Cross-Validation of a Recently Published Equation Predicting Energy Expenditure to Run or Walk a Mile in Normal-Weight and Overweight Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Cody E.; Owens, Scott G.; Waddell, Dwight E.; Bass, Martha A.; Bentley, John P.; Loftin, Mark

    2014-01-01

    An equation published by Loftin, Waddell, Robinson, and Owens (2010) was cross-validated using ten normal-weight walkers, ten overweight walkers, and ten distance runners. Energy expenditure was measured at preferred walking (normal-weight walker and overweight walkers) or running pace (distance runners) for 5 min and corrected to a mile. Energy…

  18. Species longevity in North American fossil mammals.

    PubMed

    Prothero, Donald R

    2014-08-01

    Species longevity in the fossil record is related to many paleoecological variables and is important to macroevolutionary studies, yet there are very few reliable data on average species durations in Cenozoic fossil mammals. Many of the online databases (such as the Paleobiology Database) use only genera of North American Cenozoic mammals and there are severe problems because key groups (e.g. camels, oreodonts, pronghorns and proboscideans) have no reliable updated taxonomy, with many invalid genera and species and/or many undescribed genera and species. Most of the published datasets yield species duration estimates of approximately 2.3-4.3 Myr for larger mammals, with small mammals tending to have shorter species durations. My own compilation of all the valid species durations in families with updated taxonomy (39 families, containing 431 genera and 998 species, averaging 2.3 species per genus) yields a mean duration of 3.21 Myr for larger mammals. This breaks down to 4.10-4.39 Myr for artiodactyls, 3.14-3.31 Myr for perissodactyls and 2.63-2.95 Myr for carnivorous mammals (carnivorans plus creodonts). These averages are based on a much larger, more robust dataset than most previous estimates, so they should be more reliable for any studies that need species longevity to be accurately estimated. © 2013 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  19. Used-habitat calibration plots: A new procedure for validating species distribution, resource selection, and step-selection models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fieberg, John R.; Forester, James D.; Street, Garrett M.; Johnson, Douglas H.; ArchMiller, Althea A.; Matthiopoulos, Jason

    2018-01-01

    Species distribution modeling” was recently ranked as one of the top five “research fronts” in ecology and the environmental sciences by ISI's Essential Science Indicators (Renner and Warton 2013), reflecting the importance of predicting how species distributions will respond to anthropogenic change. Unfortunately, species distribution models (SDMs) often perform poorly when applied to novel environments. Compounding on this problem is the shortage of methods for evaluating SDMs (hence, we may be getting our predictions wrong and not even know it). Traditional methods for validating SDMs quantify a model's ability to classify locations as used or unused. Instead, we propose to focus on how well SDMs can predict the characteristics of used locations. This subtle shift in viewpoint leads to a more natural and informative evaluation and validation of models across the entire spectrum of SDMs. Through a series of examples, we show how simple graphical methods can help with three fundamental challenges of habitat modeling: identifying missing covariates, non-linearity, and multicollinearity. Identifying habitat characteristics that are not well-predicted by the model can provide insights into variables affecting the distribution of species, suggest appropriate model modifications, and ultimately improve the reliability and generality of conservation and management recommendations.

  20. Predicting plant invasions under climate change: are species distribution models validated by field trials?

    PubMed

    Sheppard, Christine S; Burns, Bruce R; Stanley, Margaret C

    2014-09-01

    Climate change may facilitate alien species invasion into new areas, particularly for species from warm native ranges introduced into areas currently marginal for temperature. Although conclusions from modelling approaches and experimental studies are generally similar, combining the two approaches has rarely occurred. The aim of this study was to validate species distribution models by conducting field trials in sites of differing suitability as predicted by the models, thus increasing confidence in their ability to assess invasion risk. Three recently naturalized alien plants in New Zealand were used as study species (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Psidium guajava and Schefflera actinophylla): they originate from warm native ranges, are woody bird-dispersed species and of concern as potential weeds. Seedlings were grown in six sites across the country, differing both in climate and suitability (as predicted by the species distribution models). Seedling growth and survival were recorded over two summers and one or two winter seasons, and temperature and precipitation were monitored hourly at each site. Additionally, alien seedling performances were compared to those of closely related native species (Rhopalostylis sapida, Lophomyrtus bullata and Schefflera digitata). Furthermore, half of the seedlings were sprayed with pesticide, to investigate whether enemy release may influence performance. The results showed large differences in growth and survival of the alien species among the six sites. In the more suitable sites, performance was frequently higher compared to the native species. Leaf damage from invertebrate herbivory was low for both alien and native seedlings, with little evidence that the alien species should have an advantage over the native species because of enemy release. Correlations between performance in the field and predicted suitability of species distribution models were generally high. The projected increase in minimum temperature and reduced

  1. A revision of the Australian species of Trimma (Actinopterygii, Gobiidae), with descriptions of six new species and redescriptions of twenty-three valid species.

    PubMed

    Winterbottom, Richard; Hoese, Douglass F

    2015-03-17

    The gobiid genus Trimma currently contains 75 valid species, with another 20-30 known but undescribed species. There are 29 species in Australian waters (six undescribed). This paper describes the six new species, and provides redescriptions of most of the 23 previously described species known from the region, as well as a key for all the species. The six new species are: T. insularum (endemic to Cocos (Keeling) Islands), T. kitrinum (Fiji to Great Barrier Reef), T. meristum (Cape York to the Bismark Archipelago and Fiji), T. pentherum (Great Barrier Reef to Fiji and the South-West Islands of Palau), T. readerae (Australia to Japan), and T. xanthum (Palau to Fiji, Great Barrier Reef to Christmas Island). The following 23 species have been recorded from Australian waters, and most are redescribed here: T. anaima (Comores to Fiji), T. annosum (Maldives to the Phoenix Islands, Taiwan to the southern Great Barrier Reef), T. benjamini (southern Vietnam to the Marshall Islands, Samoa and southern Barrier Reef), T. caesiura (Ryukyus through the Marshall Islands to Samoa and Elizabeth Reef on the Lord Howe Rise), T. capostriatum (New Caledonia to eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea), T. maiandros (Java to the Ryukyus, Marshalls to Great Barrier Reef), T. emeryi (Comores to Ryukyus and Samoa), T. fangi (western South China Sea through to the Solomons), T. flavatrum (Ryukyu Islands to Western Australia and Samoa), T. hoesei (Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean to Palau and Solomons), T. lantana (Australia, Solomons, northern New Guinea, South-West Islands of Palau), T. macrophthalmus (Ryukyu Islands to Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Samoa), T. milta (Taiwan to Western Australia, Society Islands and Hawaii), T. nasa (Sumbawa, Indonesia to Fiji), T. necopinum (northern tip of Cape York to Sydney), T. nomurai (Japan to northern Australia and New Caledonia), T. okinawae (western Thailand to Japan and the Phoenix Islands, north-west Australia to the Great Barrier Reef), T

  2. Validation of a Commercially Available Enzyme ImmunoAssay for the Determination of Oxytocin in Plasma Samples from Seven Domestic Animal Species.

    PubMed

    Bienboire-Frosini, Cecile; Chabaud, Camille; Cozzi, Alessandro; Codecasa, Elisa; Pageat, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has a broad range of behavioral effects in mammals. It modulates a multitude of social behaviors, e.g., affiliative and sexual interactions. Consequently, the OT role in various animal species is increasingly explored. However, several issues have been raised regarding the peripheral OT measurement. Indeed, various methods have been described, leading to assay discrepancies and inconsistent results. This highlights the need for a recognized and reliable method to measure peripheral OT. Our aim was to validate a method combining a pre-extraction step, previously demonstrated as essential by several authors, and a commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for OT measurement, using plasma from seven domestic species (cat, dog, horse, cow, pig, sheep, and goat). The Oxytocin EIA kit (EnzoLifeSciences) was used to assay the solid-phase extracted samples following the manufacturer's instructions with slight modifications. For all species except dogs and cats, concentration factors were applied to work above the kit's sensitivity (15 pg/ml). To validate the method, the following performance characteristics were evaluated using Validation Samples (VS) at various concentrations in each species: extraction efficiency via spiking tests and intra- and inter-assay precision, allowing for the calculation of total errors. Parallelism studies to assess matrix effects could not be performed because of too low basal concentrations. Quantification ranges and associated precision profiles were established to account for the various OT plasma concentrations in each species. According to guidelines for bioanalytical validation of immunoassays, the measurements were sufficiently precise and accurate in each species to achieve a total error ≤30% in each VS sample. In each species, the inter-assay precision after 3 runs was acceptable, except in low concentration samples. The linearity under dilution of dogs and cats' samples was verified. Although

  3. Anolis marsupialis Taylor 1956, a valid species from southern Pacific Costa Rica (Reptilia, Squamata, Dactyloidae).

    PubMed

    Köhler, Johannes J; Poe, Steven; Ryan, Mason J; Köhler, Gunther

    2015-02-02

    The examination of the holotype of Anolis marsupialis Taylor 1956 along with recently collected specimens reveals that A. marsupialis is a valid species. It differs from its closest congeners A. humilis Peters 1863 and A. quaggulus Cope 1885, in male dewlap coloration, scalation, body size, and hemipenial morphology. These findings are supported by preliminary molecular genetic analysis. 

  4. Predicting the chance of vaginal delivery after one cesarean section: validation and elaboration of a published prediction model.

    PubMed

    Fagerberg, Marie C; Maršál, Karel; Källén, Karin

    2015-05-01

    We aimed to validate a widely used US prediction model for vaginal birth after cesarean (Grobman et al. [8]) and modify it to suit Swedish conditions. Women having experienced one cesarean section and at least one subsequent delivery (n=49,472) in the Swedish Medical Birth Registry 1992-2011 were randomly divided into two data sets. In the development data set, variables associated with successful trial of labor were identified using multiple logistic regression. The predictive ability of the estimates previously published by Grobman et al., and of our modified and new estimates, respectively, was then evaluated using the validation data set. The accuracy of the models for prediction of vaginal birth after cesarean was measured by area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. For maternal age, body mass index, prior vaginal delivery, and prior labor arrest, the odds ratio estimates for vaginal birth after cesarean were similar to those previously published. The prediction accuracy increased when information on indication for the previous cesarean section was added (from area under the receiver operating characteristics curve=0.69-0.71), and increased further when maternal height and delivery unit cesarean section rates were included (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve=0.74). The correlation between the individual predicted vaginal birth after cesarean probability and the observed trial of labor success rate was high in all the respective predicted probability decentiles. Customization of prediction models for vaginal birth after cesarean is of considerable value. Choosing relevant indicators for a Swedish setting made it possible to achieve excellent prediction accuracy for success in trial of labor after cesarean. During the delicate process of counseling about preferred delivery mode after one cesarean section, considering the results of our study may facilitate the choice between a trial of labor or an elective repeat cesarean

  5. Validity and sensitivity of a model for assessment of impacts of river floodplain reconstruction on protected and endangered species

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nooij, R.J.W. de; Lotterman, K.M.; Sande, P.H.J. van de

    Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must account for legally protected and endangered species. Uncertainties relating to the validity and sensitivity of EIA arise from predictions and valuation of effects on these species. This paper presents a validity and sensitivity analysis of a model (BIO-SAFE) for assessment of impacts of land use changes and physical reconstruction measures on legally protected and endangered river species. The assessment is based on links between species (higher plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies and dragon- and damselflies) and ecotopes (landscape ecological units, e.g., river dune, soft wood alluvial forests), and on value assignment to protectedmore » and endangered species using different valuation criteria (i.e., EU Habitats and Birds directive, Conventions of Bern and Bonn and Red Lists). The validity of BIO-SAFE has been tested by comparing predicted effects of landscape changes on the diversity of protected and endangered species with observed changes in biodiversity in five reconstructed floodplains. The sensitivity of BIO-SAFE to value assignment has been analysed using data of a Strategic Environmental Assessment concerning the Spatial Planning Key Decision for reconstruction of the Dutch floodplains of the river Rhine, aimed at flood defence and ecological rehabilitation. The weights given to the valuation criteria for protected and endangered species were varied and the effects on ranking of alternatives were quantified. A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.01) between predicted and observed values for protected and endangered species was found. The sensitivity of the model to value assignment proved to be low. Comparison of five realistic valuation options showed that different rankings of scenarios predominantly occur when valuation criteria are left out of the assessment. Based on these results we conclude that linking species to ecotopes can be used for adequate impact assessments

  6. An inverse radiation model for optical determination of temperature and species concentration: Development and validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Tao; Modest, Michael F.; Fateev, Alexander; Clausen, Sønnik

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we present an inverse calculation model based on the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization method to reconstruct temperature and species concentration from measured line-of-sight spectral transmissivity data for homogeneous gaseous media. The high temperature gas property database HITEMP 2010 (Rothman et al. (2010) [1]), which contains line-by-line (LBL) information for several combustion gas species, such as CO2 and H2O, was used to predict gas spectral transmissivities. The model was validated by retrieving temperatures and species concentrations from experimental CO2 and H2O transmissivity measurements. Optimal wavenumber ranges for CO2 and H2O transmissivity measured across a wide range of temperatures and concentrations were determined according to the performance of inverse calculations. Results indicate that the inverse radiation model shows good feasibility for measurements of temperature and gas concentration.

  7. Electronic Publishing or Electronic Information Handling?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heck, A.

    The current dramatic evolution in information technology is bringing major modifications in the way scientists communicate. The concept of 'electronic publishing' is too restrictive and has often different, sometimes conflicting, interpretations. It is thus giving way to the broader notion of 'electronic information handling' encompassing the diverse types of information, the different media, as well as the various communication methodologies and technologies. New problems and challenges result also from this new information culture, especially on legal, ethical, and educational grounds. The procedures for validating 'published material' and for evaluating scientific activities will have to be adjusted too. 'Fluid' information is becoming a common concept. Electronic publishing cannot be conceived without link to knowledge bases nor without intelligent information retrieval tools.

  8. The global status of freshwater fish age validation studies and a prioritization framework for future research

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pope, Kevin L.; Hamel, Martin J.; Pegg, Mark A.; Spurgeon, Jonathan J.

    2016-01-01

    Age information derived from calcified structures is commonly used to estimate recruitment, growth, and mortality for fish populations. Validation of daily or annual marks on age structures is often assumed, presumably due to a lack of general knowledge concerning the status of age validation studies. Therefore, the current status of freshwater fish age validation studies was summarized to show where additional effort is needed, and increase the accessibility of validation studies to researchers. In total, 1351 original peer-reviewed articles were reviewed from freshwater systems that studied age in fish. Periodicity and age validation studies were found for 88 freshwater species comprising 21 fish families. The number of age validation studies has increased over the last 30 years following previous calls for more research; however, few species have validated structures spanning all life stages. In addition, few fishes of conservation concern have validated ageing structures. A prioritization framework, using a combination of eight characteristics, is offered to direct future age validation studies and close the validation information gap. Additional study, using the offered prioritization framework, and increased availability of published studies that incorporate uncertainty when presenting research results dealing with age information are needed.

  9. Catalog to families, genera, and species of orders Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa).

    PubMed

    Fautin, Daphne Gail

    2016-08-01

    sources of specimens that were the bases of new names are identified. I resolve some nomenclatural issues, acting as First Reviser. A few taxonomic opinions are published for the first time. I have been unable to resolve a small number of problematic names having both nomenclatural and taxonomic problems. Molecular phylogenetic analyses are changing assignment of genera to families and species to genera. Systematics may change, but the basics of nomenclature remain unchanged in face of such alterations.        All actions are in accord with the principles of nomenclature enunciated in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. These include the type concept, the Principle of Coordination, and the Principle of Priority. Nomenclatural acts include the creation of new replacement names; seven actiniarian generic names and one species name that are junior homonyms but have been treated as valid are replaced and an eighth new genus name is created. I designate type species for two genera. Except for published misspellings, names are rendered correctly according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; I have altered spelling of some species names to conform to orthographic regulations. I place several species that had been assigned to genera now considered junior synonyms in the genus to which the type species was moved; experts on these anemones should determine whether those generic placements, which follow the nomenclatural rules, are taxonomically appropriate.        This inventory can be a useful starting point in assembling the literature and trying to understand the rationale for the creation and use of names for the taxonomic matters yet to be resolved.  Some nomenclatural conundra will not be resolved until taxonomic uncertainties are. A taxonomist familiar with the animals needs to ascertain whether the published synonymies are justified. If so, the senior synonym should be used, which, in many instances, will involve determining

  10. Cluster Analysis of Longidorus Species (Nematoda: Longidoridae), a New Approach in Species Identification

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Weimin; Robbins, R. T.

    2004-01-01

    Hierarchical cluster analysis based on female morphometric character means including body length, distance from vulva opening to anterior end, head width, odontostyle length, esophagus length, body width, tail length, and tail width were used to examine the morphometric relationships and create dendrograms for (i) 62 populations belonging to 9 Longidorus species from Arkansas, (ii) 137 published Longidorus species, and (iii) 137 published Longidorus species plus 86 populations of 16 Longidorus species from Arkansas and various other locations by using JMP 4.02 software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Cluster analysis dendograms visually illustrated the grouping and morphometric relationships of the species and populations. It provided a computerized statistical approach to assist by helping to identify and distinguish species, by indicating morphometric relationships among species, and by assisting with new species diagnosis. The preliminary species identification can be accomplished by running cluster analysis for unknown species together with the data matrix of known published Longidorus species. PMID:19262809

  11. Helminthic infections mimicking malignancy: a review of published case reports.

    PubMed

    Pilsczek, Florian H

    2010-08-04

    Infectious diseases, including infections with helminths, can initially present similarly to malignancies. The goal of the article is to review reports of helminthic infections that are initially diagnosed as malignancy. The database PubMed was searched for English language references published as of July 2009. The following published case reports and case series, mainly from Asia and Africa, were identified: Nematodes: 8 publications (1 patient with Angiostrongylus cantonensis, 2 Stronglyloides stercoralis, 1 Toxocara species, 1 Dioctophyma renale, 1 Ascaris species, 1 Gnathostoma spinigerum, 1 Dirofilaria repens); Trematodes: 7 publications (46 patients with Schistosoma species, 2 Fasciola hepatica, 1 Paragonimus westermani); Cestodes: 6 publications (10 patients with Echinococcus species, 1 Sparganum mansoni). To avoid unnecessary investigations and treatment, physicians should be aware when diagnosing patients from Asia or Africa that a large number of helminthic infections can present similar to malignancies.

  12. Biomedicine's Electronic Publishing Paradigm Shift

    PubMed Central

    Markovitz, Barry P.

    2000-01-01

    Biomedical publishing stands at a crossroads. The traditional print, peer-reviewed, subscription journal has served science well but is now being called into question. Because of spiraling print journal costs and the worldwide acceptance of the Internet as a valid publication medium, there is a compelling opportunity to re-examine our current paradigm and future options. This report illustrates the conflicts and restrictions inherent in the current publishing model and examines how the single act of permitting authors to retain copyright of their scholarly manuscripts may preserve the quality-control function of the current journal system while allowing PubMed Central, the Internet archiving system recently proposed by the director of the National Institutes of Health, to simplify and liberate access to the world's biomedical literature. PMID:10833158

  13. An internationally standardized species identification test for use on suspected seized rhinoceros horn in the illegal wildlife trade.

    PubMed

    Ewart, Kyle M; Frankham, Greta J; McEwing, Ross; Webster, Lucy M I; Ciavaglia, Sherryn A; Linacre, Adrian M T; The, Dang Tat; Ovouthan, Kanitia; Johnson, Rebecca N

    2018-01-01

    Rhinoceros (rhino) numbers have dwindled substantially over the past century. As a result, three of the five species are now considered to be critically endangered, one species is vulnerable and one species is near-threatened. Poaching has increased dramatically over the past decade due to a growing demand for rhino horn products, primarily in Asia. Improved wildlife forensic techniques, such as validated tests for species identification of seized horns, are critical to aid current enforcement and prosecution efforts and provide a deterrent to future rhino horn trafficking. Here, we present an internationally standardized species identification test based on a 230 base pair cytochrome-b region. This test improves on previous nested PCR protocols and can be used for the discrimination of samples with <20pg of template DNA, thus suitable for DNA extracted from horn products. The assay was designed to amplify water buffalo samples, a common 'rhino horn' substitute, but to exclude human DNA, a common contaminant. Phylogenetic analyses using this partial cytochrome-b region resolved the five extant rhino species. Testing successfully returned a sequence and correct identification for all of the known rhino horn samples and vouchered rhino samples from museum and zoo collections, and provided species level identification for 47 out of 52 unknown samples from seizures. Validation and standardization was carried out across five different laboratories, in four different countries, demonstrating it to be an effective and reproducible test, robust to inter laboratory variation in equipment and consumables (such as PCR reagents). This is one of the first species identification tests to be internationally standardized to produce data for evidential proceedings and the first published validated test for rhinos, one of the flagship species groups of the illegal wildlife trade and for which forensic tools are urgently required. This study serves as a model for how species

  14. Expertly validated models and phylogenetically-controlled analysis suggests responses to climate change are related to species traits in the order lagomorpha.

    PubMed

    Leach, Katie; Kelly, Ruth; Cameron, Alison; Montgomery, W Ian; Reid, Neil

    2015-01-01

    Climate change during the past five decades has impacted significantly on natural ecosystems, and the rate of current climate change is of great concern among conservation biologists. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used widely to project changes in species' bioclimatic envelopes under future climate scenarios. Here, we aimed to advance this technique by assessing future changes in the bioclimatic envelopes of an entire mammalian order, the Lagomorpha, using a novel framework for model validation based jointly on subjective expert evaluation and objective model evaluation statistics. SDMs were built using climatic, topographical, and habitat variables for all 87 lagomorph species under past and current climate scenarios. Expert evaluation and Kappa values were used to validate past and current models and only those deemed 'modellable' within our framework were projected under future climate scenarios (58 species). Phylogenetically-controlled regressions were used to test whether species traits correlated with predicted responses to climate change. Climate change is likely to impact more than two-thirds of lagomorph species, with leporids (rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits) likely to undertake poleward shifts with little overall change in range extent, whilst pikas are likely to show extreme shifts to higher altitudes associated with marked range declines, including the likely extinction of Kozlov's Pika (Ochotona koslowi). Smaller-bodied species were more likely to exhibit range contractions and elevational increases, but showing little poleward movement, and fecund species were more likely to shift latitudinally and elevationally. Our results suggest that species traits may be important indicators of future climate change and we believe multi-species approaches, as demonstrated here, are likely to lead to more effective mitigation measures and conservation management. We strongly advocate studies minimising data gaps in our knowledge of the Order

  15. New lipid-dependent Malassezia species from parrots.

    PubMed

    Cabañes, F Javier; Coutinho, S Dall' Acqua; Puig, Laura; Bragulat, M Rosa; Castellá, Gemma

    2016-01-01

    All the currently recognized Malassezia species have been isolated from mammals. However, only a few of them have been isolated from birds. In fact, birds have been less frequently studied as carriers of Malassezia yeasts than mammals. In this study we describe two new taxa, Malassezia brasiliensis sp. nov. and Malassezia psittaci sp. nov. The isolates studied in this publication were isolated from pet parrots from Brazil. They were characterized using the current morphological and physiological identification scheme. DNA sequencing and analysis of the D1/D2 regions of the 26S rRNA gene, the ITS-5.8S rRNA gene sequences and the β-tubulin gene were also performed. The strains proposed as new species did not completely fit the phenotypic profiles of any the described species. The validation of these new species was supported by analysis of the genes studied. The multilocus sequence analysis of the three loci provides robust support to delineate these species. These studies confirm the separation of these two new species from the other species of the genus Malassezia, as well as the presence of lipid-dependent Malassezia yeasts on parrots. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Española de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  16. Critical appraisal of published literature

    PubMed Central

    Umesh, Goneppanavar; Karippacheril, John George; Magazine, Rahul

    2016-01-01

    With a large output of medical literature coming out every year, it is impossible for readers to read every article. Critical appraisal of scientific literature is an important skill to be mastered not only by academic medical professionals but also by those involved in clinical practice. Before incorporating changes into the management of their patients, a thorough evaluation of the current or published literature is an important step in clinical practice. It is necessary for assessing the published literature for its scientific validity and generalizability to the specific patient community and reader's work environment. Simple steps have been provided by Consolidated Standard for Reporting Trial statements, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and several other resources which if implemented may help the reader to avoid reading flawed literature and prevent the incorporation of biased or untrustworthy information into our practice. PMID:27729695

  17. Mycobacterium bovis infections in domesticated non-bovine mammalian species. Part 2: A review of diagnostic methods.

    PubMed

    Broughan, J M; Crawshaw, T R; Downs, S H; Brewer, J; Clifton-Hadley, R S

    2013-11-01

    Despite the large host range of Mycobacterium bovis, ante-mortem diagnostic tests for the infection mostly lack sensitivity/specificity and/or remain unvalidated in non-bovine species. The epidemiology and importance of M. bovis infection in these species are discussed in the first part of this two-part review. This second part focuses on the diagnostic options available to identify infected species such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and camelids, and highlights the significant challenges posed, both in establishing estimates of disease prevalence and in controlling infections in these species, in the absence of fully validated tests. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Expertly Validated Models and Phylogenetically-Controlled Analysis Suggests Responses to Climate Change Are Related to Species Traits in the Order Lagomorpha

    PubMed Central

    Leach, Katie; Kelly, Ruth; Cameron, Alison; Montgomery, W. Ian; Reid, Neil

    2015-01-01

    Climate change during the past five decades has impacted significantly on natural ecosystems, and the rate of current climate change is of great concern among conservation biologists. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used widely to project changes in species’ bioclimatic envelopes under future climate scenarios. Here, we aimed to advance this technique by assessing future changes in the bioclimatic envelopes of an entire mammalian order, the Lagomorpha, using a novel framework for model validation based jointly on subjective expert evaluation and objective model evaluation statistics. SDMs were built using climatic, topographical, and habitat variables for all 87 lagomorph species under past and current climate scenarios. Expert evaluation and Kappa values were used to validate past and current models and only those deemed ‘modellable’ within our framework were projected under future climate scenarios (58 species). Phylogenetically-controlled regressions were used to test whether species traits correlated with predicted responses to climate change. Climate change is likely to impact more than two-thirds of lagomorph species, with leporids (rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits) likely to undertake poleward shifts with little overall change in range extent, whilst pikas are likely to show extreme shifts to higher altitudes associated with marked range declines, including the likely extinction of Kozlov’s Pika (Ochotona koslowi). Smaller-bodied species were more likely to exhibit range contractions and elevational increases, but showing little poleward movement, and fecund species were more likely to shift latitudinally and elevationally. Our results suggest that species traits may be important indicators of future climate change and we believe multi-species approaches, as demonstrated here, are likely to lead to more effective mitigation measures and conservation management. We strongly advocate studies minimising data gaps in our knowledge of the

  19. Development of validated high-performance thin layer chromatography for quantification of aristolochic acid in different species of the Aristolochiaceae family.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Poonam; Laddha, Kirti

    2017-04-01

    This study was undertaken to isolate and quantify aristolochic acid in Aristolochia indica stem and Apama siliquosa root. Aristolochic acid is an important biomarker component present in the Aristolochiaceae family. The isolation method involved simple solvent extraction, precipitation and further purification, using recrystallization. The structure of the compound was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. A specific and rapid high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed for analysis of aristolochic acid. The method involved separation on the silica gel 60 F 254 plates using the single solvent system of n-hexane: chloroform: methanol. The method showed good linear relationship in the range 0.4-2.0 μg/spot with r 2  = 0.998. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 62.841 ng/spot and 209.47 ng/spot, respectively. The proposed validated HPTLC method was found to be an easy to use, accurate and convenient method that could be successfully used for standardization and quality assessment of herbal material as well as formulations containing different species of the Aristolochiaceae family. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. A combined computational-experimental analyses of selected metabolic enzymes in Pseudomonas species.

    PubMed

    Perumal, Deepak; Lim, Chu Sing; Chow, Vincent T K; Sakharkar, Kishore R; Sakharkar, Meena K

    2008-09-10

    Comparative genomic analysis has revolutionized our ability to predict the metabolic subsystems that occur in newly sequenced genomes, and to explore the functional roles of the set of genes within each subsystem. These computational predictions can considerably reduce the volume of experimental studies required to assess basic metabolic properties of multiple bacterial species. However, experimental validations are still required to resolve the apparent inconsistencies in the predictions by multiple resources. Here, we present combined computational-experimental analyses on eight completely sequenced Pseudomonas species. Comparative pathway analyses reveal that several pathways within the Pseudomonas species show high plasticity and versatility. Potential bypasses in 11 metabolic pathways were identified. We further confirmed the presence of the enzyme O-acetyl homoserine (thiol) lyase (EC: 2.5.1.49) in P. syringae pv. tomato that revealed inconsistent annotations in KEGG and in the recently published SYSTOMONAS database. These analyses connect and integrate systematic data generation, computational data interpretation, and experimental validation and represent a synergistic and powerful means for conducting biological research.

  1. Where to publish

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Jyoit; Smart, Pippa

    2015-01-01

    “If you want to make an impact among your colleagues, look especially at the journals that they’re reading and publishing in” Dr H Goldman, Chief Editor of Polar Research Writing medical articles is highly competitive. Many hours are expended conducting research, and even more hours writing and rewriting the manuscript. Furthermore, countless hours are spent chasing references and performing complex statistics. However, when it comes to understanding the target audience, are authors guilty of not investing as much effort to get maximum impact from the fruits of their labour? The issue of where to send your manuscript has never been more critical. Most clinicians receive daily invitations via email to submit work to journals that sound legitimate and valid. But are they? Although many journals are reputable, many others are not. This stems partly from the sharp decline in paper journals and the parallel exponential rise in digital journals. With intense pressure to publish, it is hard not to be seduced by online journal marketing ploys. For instance, one researcher used www.randomtextgenerator.com to make up an article and submitted it to 37 open access journals over a period of 2 weeks.1 At least 17 accepted his work and agreed to publish his article once a $500 ‘processing fee’ had been paid. Investing time and effort in ‘where to publish’ is time well spent. It is an exercise in understanding the target audience that will benefit most from the publication. Doing this at an early stage in the publishing process saves valuable time and resources. More importantly, this increases the chances of acceptance. So what are the tips for checking journal legitimacy and avoiding the trap of predatory journals? >Check the journal website and look through a recent issue.>Is the journal indexed? Check journal databases like PubMed Central® or the Web of Science®. Is there a link on the journal web pages to the spoof www.medline.com?>Check the name of the editor

  2. Development and validation of a multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method to identify endangered species in complex samples

    PubMed Central

    Arulandhu, Alfred J.; Staats, Martijn; Hagelaar, Rico; Voorhuijzen, Marleen M.; Prins, Theo W.; Scholtens, Ingrid; Costessi, Adalberto; Duijsings, Danny; Rechenmann, François; Gaspar, Frédéric B.; Barreto Crespo, Maria Teresa; Holst-Jensen, Arne; Birck, Matthew; Burns, Malcolm; Haynes, Edward; Hochegger, Rupert; Klingl, Alexander; Lundberg, Lisa; Natale, Chiara; Niekamp, Hauke; Perri, Elena; Barbante, Alessandra; Rosec, Jean-Philippe; Seyfarth, Ralf; Sovová, Tereza; Van Moorleghem, Christoff; van Ruth, Saskia; Peelen, Tamara

    2017-01-01

    Abstract DNA metabarcoding provides great potential for species identification in complex samples such as food supplements and traditional medicines. Such a method would aid Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) enforcement officers to combat wildlife crime by preventing illegal trade of endangered plant and animal species. The objective of this research was to develop a multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method for forensic wildlife species identification and to evaluate the applicability and reproducibility of this approach across different laboratories. A DNA metabarcoding method was developed that makes use of 12 DNA barcode markers that have demonstrated universal applicability across a wide range of plant and animal taxa and that facilitate the identification of species in samples containing degraded DNA. The DNA metabarcoding method was developed based on Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing of well-defined experimental mixtures, for which a bioinformatics pipeline with user-friendly web-interface was developed. The performance of the DNA metabarcoding method was assessed in an international validation trial by 16 laboratories, in which the method was found to be highly reproducible and sensitive enough to identify species present in a mixture at 1% dry weight content. The advanced multi-locus DNA metabarcoding method assessed in this study provides reliable and detailed data on the composition of complex food products, including information on the presence of CITES-listed species. The method can provide improved resolution for species identification, while verifying species with multiple DNA barcodes contributes to an enhanced quality assurance. PMID:29020743

  3. Design and Validation of Real-Time PCR: Quantitative Diagnosis of Common Leishmania Species in Iran.

    PubMed

    Fekri Soofi Abadi, Maryam; Dabiri, Shahriar; Fotouhi Ardakani, Reza; Fani Malaki, Lina; Amirpoor Rostami, Sahar; Ziasistani, Mahsa; Dabiri, Donya

    2016-07-01

    Design and validation of Real-time PCR on the protected gene region ITS2 to quantify the parasite load in common leishmania (L) species. Probe and primer were designed from the ITS2 region between the rRNA genes with minimum gene variation in three common leishmania species followed by a Real-time PCR using the Taq man probe method in the form of absolute quantification. A series of different concentrations of leishmania were analyzed. After the purified PCR product was successfully placed in a PTG19-T plasmid vector, specialized ITS2 region was cloned in this plasmid. In the last phase, the cloned gene was transferred to the Ecoli.Top10F bacteria. The standard plasmid was provided in 10(7) to 10(1) copies/rxn concentrations. The specification and clinical sensitivity of the data was analyzed using inter and intra scales. The probe and primer were designed using three species, including L. infantum, L. major, and L.tropica. Seven concentrations of purified parasite in culture media showed that the selected region for quantifying the parasite is suitable. Clinical and analytical specificity and sensitivity were both 100%, respectively. The Taq man method for the ITS2 region in leishmania is one the most sensitive diagnostic test for identifying the parasite load and is suggested as a tool for fast identification and quantification of species.

  4. A new species of Moraria (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the Laurentian Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reid, Janet W.; Lesko, Lynn T.

    2003-01-01

    Moraria hudsoni n. sp. is described from Trails End Bay in Lake Michigan and Prentiss Bay in Lake Huron, Michigan, USA. The new species differs from its congeners in chaetotaxy, body ornamentation, and other characters. We review published records of members of Moraria from North and Central America; no species is known from South America. Species of this genus have been found in the mountains of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, but none of these has been validly described. In North America, eight species have been recorded from Alaska, Canada, and the conterminous USA as far south as North Carolina. We report new geographical records of M. affinis from Virginia, and of both M. cristata and M. virginiana from Maryland and Virginia. We provide a tabular key to aid in identification of the named species of Moraria in North America.

  5. Can species distribution models really predict the expansion of invasive species?

    PubMed

    Barbet-Massin, Morgane; Rome, Quentin; Villemant, Claire; Courchamp, Franck

    2018-01-01

    Predictive studies are of paramount importance for biological invasions, one of the biggest threats for biodiversity. To help and better prioritize management strategies, species distribution models (SDMs) are often used to predict the potential invasive range of introduced species. Yet, SDMs have been regularly criticized, due to several strong limitations, such as violating the equilibrium assumption during the invasion process. Unfortunately, validation studies-with independent data-are too scarce to assess the predictive accuracy of SDMs in invasion biology. Yet, biological invasions allow to test SDMs usefulness, by retrospectively assessing whether they would have accurately predicted the latest ranges of invasion. Here, we assess the predictive accuracy of SDMs in predicting the expansion of invasive species. We used temporal occurrence data for the Asian hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax, a species native to China that is invading Europe with a very fast rate. Specifically, we compared occurrence data from the last stage of invasion (independent validation points) to the climate suitability distribution predicted from models calibrated with data from the early stage of invasion. Despite the invasive species not being at equilibrium yet, the predicted climate suitability of validation points was high. SDMs can thus adequately predict the spread of V. v. nigrithorax, which appears to be-at least partially-climatically driven. In the case of V. v. nigrithorax, SDMs predictive accuracy was slightly but significantly better when models were calibrated with invasive data only, excluding native data. Although more validation studies for other invasion cases are needed to generalize our results, our findings are an important step towards validating the use of SDMs in invasion biology.

  6. Can species distribution models really predict the expansion of invasive species?

    PubMed Central

    Rome, Quentin; Villemant, Claire; Courchamp, Franck

    2018-01-01

    Predictive studies are of paramount importance for biological invasions, one of the biggest threats for biodiversity. To help and better prioritize management strategies, species distribution models (SDMs) are often used to predict the potential invasive range of introduced species. Yet, SDMs have been regularly criticized, due to several strong limitations, such as violating the equilibrium assumption during the invasion process. Unfortunately, validation studies–with independent data–are too scarce to assess the predictive accuracy of SDMs in invasion biology. Yet, biological invasions allow to test SDMs usefulness, by retrospectively assessing whether they would have accurately predicted the latest ranges of invasion. Here, we assess the predictive accuracy of SDMs in predicting the expansion of invasive species. We used temporal occurrence data for the Asian hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax, a species native to China that is invading Europe with a very fast rate. Specifically, we compared occurrence data from the last stage of invasion (independent validation points) to the climate suitability distribution predicted from models calibrated with data from the early stage of invasion. Despite the invasive species not being at equilibrium yet, the predicted climate suitability of validation points was high. SDMs can thus adequately predict the spread of V. v. nigrithorax, which appears to be—at least partially–climatically driven. In the case of V. v. nigrithorax, SDMs predictive accuracy was slightly but significantly better when models were calibrated with invasive data only, excluding native data. Although more validation studies for other invasion cases are needed to generalize our results, our findings are an important step towards validating the use of SDMs in invasion biology. PMID:29509789

  7. Distinguishing Vaccinium Species by Chemical Fingerprinting Based on NMR Spectra, Validated with Spectra Collected in Different Laboratories

    PubMed Central

    Markus, Michelle A.; Ferrier, Jonathan; Luchsinger, Sarah M.; Yuk, Jimmy; Cuerrier, Alain; Balick, Michael J.; Hicks, Joshua M.; Killday, K. Brian; Kirby, Christopher W.; Berrue, Fabrice; Kerr, Russell G.; Knagge, Kevin; Gödecke, Tanja; Ramirez, Benjamin E.; Lankin, David C.; Pauli, Guido F.; Burton, Ian; Karakach, Tobias K.; Arnason, John T.; Colson, Kimberly L.

    2014-01-01

    A method was developed to distinguish Vaccinium species based on leaf extracts using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reference spectra were measured on leaf extracts from several species, including lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), oval leaf huckleberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). Using principal component analysis, these leaf extracts were resolved in the scores plot. Analysis of variance statistical tests demonstrated that the three groups differ significantly on PC2, establishing that the three species can be distinguished by nuclear magnetic resonance. Soft independent modeling of class analogies models for each species also showed discrimination between species. To demonstrate the robustness of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for botanical identification, spectra of a sample of lowbush blueberry leaf extract were measured at five different sites, with different field strengths (600 versus 700 MHz), different probe types (cryogenic versus room temperature probes), different sample diameters (1.7 mm versus 5 mm), and different consoles (Avance I versus Avance III). Each laboratory independently demonstrated the linearity of their NMR measurements by acquiring a standard curve for chlorogenic acid (R2 = 0.9782 to 0.9998). Spectra acquired on different spectrometers at different sites classifed into the expected group for the Vaccinium spp., confirming the utility of the method to distinguish Vaccinium species and demonstrating nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting for material validation of a natural health product. PMID:24963620

  8. Validation of Suitable Reference Genes for Expression Normalization in Echinococcus spp. Larval Stages

    PubMed Central

    Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

  9. Validation of suitable reference genes for expression normalization in Echinococcus spp. larval stages.

    PubMed

    Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

  10. Desktop publishing and validation of custom near visual acuity charts.

    PubMed

    Marran, Lynn; Liu, Lei; Lau, George

    2008-11-01

    Customized visual acuity (VA) assessment is an important part of basic and clinical vision research. Desktop computer based distance VA measurements have been utilized, and shown to be accurate and reliable, but computer based near VA measurements have not been attempted, mainly due to the limited spatial resolution of computer monitors. In this paper, we demonstrate how to use desktop publishing to create printed custom near VA charts. We created a set of six near VA charts in a logarithmic progression, 20/20 through 20/63, with multiple lines of the same acuity level, different letter arrangements in each line and a random noise background. This design allowed repeated measures of subjective accommodative amplitude without the potential artifact of familiarity of the optotypes. The background maintained a constant and spatial frequency rich peripheral stimulus for accommodation across the six different acuity levels. The paper describes in detail how pixel-wise accurate black and white bitmaps of Sloan optotypes were used to create the printed custom VA charts. At all acuity levels, the physical sizes of the printed custom optotypes deviated no more than 0.034 log units from that of the standard, satisfying the 0.05 log unit ISO criterion we used to demonstrate physical equivalence. Also, at all acuity levels, log unit differences in the mean target distance for which reliable recognition of letters first occurred for the printed custom optotypes compared to the standard were found to be below 0.05, satisfying the 0.05 log unit ISO criterion we used to demonstrate functional equivalence. It is possible to use desktop publishing to create custom near VA charts that are physically and functionally equivalent to standard VA charts produced by a commercial printing process.

  11. Distinguishing Vaccinium species by chemical fingerprinting based on NMR spectra, validated with spectra collected in different laboratories.

    PubMed

    Markus, Michelle A; Ferrier, Jonathan; Luchsinger, Sarah M; Yuk, Jimmy; Cuerrier, Alain; Balick, Michael J; Hicks, Joshua M; Killday, K Brian; Kirby, Christopher W; Berrue, Fabrice; Kerr, Russell G; Knagge, Kevin; Gödecke, Tanja; Ramirez, Benjamin E; Lankin, David C; Pauli, Guido F; Burton, Ian; Karakach, Tobias K; Arnason, John T; Colson, Kimberly L

    2014-06-01

    A method was developed to distinguish Vaccinium species based on leaf extracts using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reference spectra were measured on leaf extracts from several species, including lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), oval leaf huckleberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). Using principal component analysis, these leaf extracts were resolved in the scores plot. Analysis of variance statistical tests demonstrated that the three groups differ significantly on PC2, establishing that the three species can be distinguished by nuclear magnetic resonance. Soft independent modeling of class analogies models for each species also showed discrimination between species. To demonstrate the robustness of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for botanical identification, spectra of a sample of lowbush blueberry leaf extract were measured at five different sites, with different field strengths (600 versus 700 MHz), different probe types (cryogenic versus room temperature probes), different sample diameters (1.7 mm versus 5 mm), and different consoles (Avance I versus Avance III). Each laboratory independently demonstrated the linearity of their NMR measurements by acquiring a standard curve for chlorogenic acid (R(2) = 0.9782 to 0.9998). Spectra acquired on different spectrometers at different sites classifed into the expected group for the Vaccinium spp., confirming the utility of the method to distinguish Vaccinium species and demonstrating nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting for material validation of a natural health product. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  12. Applied and implied semantics in crystallographic publishing

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Crystallography is a data-rich, software-intensive scientific discipline with a community that has undertaken direct responsibility for publishing its own scientific journals. That community has worked actively to develop information exchange standards allowing readers of structure reports to access directly, and interact with, the scientific content of the articles. Results Structure reports submitted to some journals of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) can be automatically validated and published through an efficient and cost-effective workflow. Readers can view and interact with the structures in three-dimensional visualization applications, and can access the experimental data should they wish to perform their own independent structure solution and refinement. The journals also layer on top of this facility a number of automated annotations and interpretations to add further scientific value. Conclusions The benefits of semantically rich information exchange standards have revolutionised the scholarly publishing process for crystallography, and establish a model relevant to many other physical science disciplines. PMID:22932420

  13. Preresidency publication record and its association with publishing during paediatric residency.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Ronish; Norris, Mark Lorne; Writer, Hilary

    2016-05-01

    To determine whether an association exists between the publication of journal articles before and during paediatrics residency. A retrospective search of PubMed was conducted for publications by all 567 Canadian paediatricians certified between 2009 and 2012, inclusive. Paediatricians were separated into groups based on the number of articles published preresidency (0 or ≥1) and during residency (0 or ≥1). The methodology was validated using a group of local paediatricians who were contacted to verify whether their publications were identified accurately. A total of 160 of 567 (28%) certified paediatricians had preresidency publications; of these, 93 (58%) subsequently published during their residency period. Among the remaining 407 (72%) paediatricians without preresidency publications, 129 (32%) published during residency. The association between publication before and during paediatric residency was statistically significant (OR 2.98 [95% CI 2.04 to 4.36]; P<0.001). Results from the validation analysis suggested the methodology correctly identified pre- and during residency publication status with 87% and 90% accuracy, respectively. Individuals with previous publications were more likely to publish as residents; however, 42% of individuals with pre-residency publications did not publish as residents. Residency selection committees may find these data helpful in assessing the publication potential of their applicants. In addition, this information may assist in building more targeted and individualized research curricula within residency programs.

  14. An Investigation of Aerosol Measurements from the Halogen Occultation Experiment: Validation, Size Distributions, Composition, and Relation to Other Chemical Species

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deshler, Terry; Hervig, Mark E.

    1998-01-01

    The efforts envisioned within the original proposal (accepted February 1994) and the extension of this proposal (accepted February 1997) included measurement validations, the retrieval of aerosol size distributions and distribution moments, aerosol correction studies, and investigations of polar stratospheric clouds. A majority of the results from this grant have been published. The principal results from this grant are discussed.

  15. Design of character-based DNA barcode motif for species identification: A computational approach and its validation in fishes.

    PubMed

    Chakraborty, Mohua; Dhar, Bishal; Ghosh, Sankar Kumar

    2017-11-01

    The DNA barcodes are generally interpreted using distance-based and character-based methods. The former uses clustering of comparable groups, based on the relative genetic distance, while the latter is based on the presence or absence of discrete nucleotide substitutions. The distance-based approach has a limitation in defining a universal species boundary across the taxa as the rate of mtDNA evolution is not constant throughout the taxa. However, character-based approach more accurately defines this using a unique set of nucleotide characters. The character-based analysis of full-length barcode has some inherent limitations, like sequencing of the full-length barcode, use of a sparse-data matrix and lack of a uniform diagnostic position for each group. A short continuous stretch of a fragment can be used to resolve the limitations. Here, we observe that a 154-bp fragment, from the transversion-rich domain of 1367 COI barcode sequences can successfully delimit species in the three most diverse orders of freshwater fishes. This fragment is used to design species-specific barcode motifs for 109 species by the character-based method, which successfully identifies the correct species using a pattern-matching program. The motifs also correctly identify geographically isolated population of the Cypriniformes species. Further, this region is validated as a species-specific mini-barcode for freshwater fishes by successful PCR amplification and sequencing of the motif (154 bp) using the designed primers. We anticipate that use of such motifs will enhance the diagnostic power of DNA barcode, and the mini-barcode approach will greatly benefit the field-based system of rapid species identification. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Domingos; Särkinen, Tiina; Alexander, Sara; Amorim, André M; Bittrich, Volker; Celis, Marcela; Daly, Douglas C; Fiaschi, Pedro; Funk, Vicki A; Giacomin, Leandro L; Goldenberg, Renato; Heiden, Gustavo; Iganci, João; Kelloff, Carol L; Knapp, Sandra; Cavalcante de Lima, Haroldo; Machado, Anderson F P; Dos Santos, Rubens Manoel; Mello-Silva, Renato; Michelangeli, Fabián A; Mitchell, John; Moonlight, Peter; de Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues; Mori, Scott A; Nunes, Teonildes Sacramento; Pennington, Terry D; Pirani, José Rubens; Prance, Ghillean T; de Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci; Rapini, Alessandro; Riina, Ricarda; Rincon, Carlos Alberto Vargas; Roque, Nádia; Shimizu, Gustavo; Sobral, Marcos; Stehmann, João Renato; Stevens, Warren D; Taylor, Charlotte M; Trovó, Marcelo; van den Berg, Cássio; van der Werff, Henk; Viana, Pedro Lage; Zartman, Charles E; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini

    2017-10-03

    Recent debates on the number of plant species in the vast lowland rain forests of the Amazon have been based largely on model estimates, neglecting published checklists based on verified voucher data. Here we collate taxonomically verified checklists to present a list of seed plant species from lowland Amazon rain forests. Our list comprises 14,003 species, of which 6,727 are trees. These figures are similar to estimates derived from nonparametric ecological models, but they contrast strongly with predictions of much higher tree diversity derived from parametric models. Based on the known proportion of tree species in neotropical lowland rain forest communities as measured in complete plot censuses, and on overall estimates of seed plant diversity in Brazil and in the neotropics in general, it is more likely that tree diversity in the Amazon is closer to the lower estimates derived from nonparametric models. Much remains unknown about Amazonian plant diversity, but this taxonomically verified dataset provides a valid starting point for macroecological and evolutionary studies aimed at understanding the origin, evolution, and ecology of the exceptional biodiversity of Amazonian forests.

  17. Proposal to designate Methylothermus subterraneus Hirayama et al. 2011 as the type species of the genus Methylothermus. Request for an Opinion.

    PubMed

    Boden, Rich; Oren, Aharon

    2017-09-01

    Methylothermus thermalis, the designated type species of the genus Methylothermus, is not available from culture collections and its nomenclatural type is a patent strain. According to Rule 20a of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes, only species whose names are legitimate may serve as types of genera. Therefore, the name Methylothermus and the names of the species Methylothermus thermalis and Methylothermus subterraneus are not validly published and are illegitimate. We therefore submit a Request for an Opinion to the Judicial Commission of the ICSP to consider the later-named Methylothermus subterraneus as the new type species of the genus Methylothermus based on Rule 20e(2).

  18. External validation of a published nomogram for prediction of brain metastasis in patients with extra-cerebral metastatic breast cancer and risk regression analysis.

    PubMed

    Genre, Ludivine; Roché, Henri; Varela, Léonel; Kanoun, Dorra; Ouali, Monia; Filleron, Thomas; Dalenc, Florence

    2017-02-01

    Survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) suffering from brain metastasis (BM) is limited and this event is usually fatal. In 2010, the Graesslin's nomogram was published in order to predict subsequent BM in patients with breast cancer (BC) with extra-cerebral metastatic disease. This model aims to select a patient population at high risk for BM and thus will facilitate the design of prevention strategies and/or the impact of early treatment of BM in prospective clinical studies. Nomogram external validation was retrospectively applied to patients with BC and later BM between January 2005 and December 2012, treated in our institution. Moreover, risk factors of BM appearance were studied by Fine and Gray's competing risk analysis. Among 492 patients with MBC, 116 developed subsequent BM. Seventy of them were included for the nomogram validation. The discrimination is good (area under curve = 0.695 [95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.77]). Risk factors of BM appearance are: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression/amplification, triple-negative BC and number of extra-cerebral metastatic sites (>1). With a competing risk model, we highlight the nomogram interest for HER2+ tumour subgroup exclusively. Graesslin's nomogram external validation demonstrates exportability and reproducibility. Importantly, the competing risk model analysis provides additional information for the design of prospective trials concerning the early diagnosis of BM and/or preventive treatment on high risk patients with extra-cerebral metastatic BC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) chabaudi and Phlebotomus riouxi: closely related species or synonyms?

    PubMed

    Lehrter, Véronique; Bañuls, Anne-Laure; Léger, Nicole; Rioux, Jean-Antoine; Depaquit, Jérôme

    2017-01-01

    Phlebotomus riouxi Depaquit, Killick-Kendrick & Léger 1998 was described as a species closely related to Phlebotomus chabaudi Croset, Abonnenc & Rioux 1970, differing mainly by the size and number of setae of the coxite basal lobe. Molecular studies carried out on several populations from Algeria and Tunisia and based on mitochondrial genes cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) supported the typological validity of these two species. Recently, specimens from a single population in southern Tunisia were morphologically identified as Ph. riouxi, Ph. chabaudi and intermediates, but were clustered in the same clade according to their Cytb and nuclear gene elongation factor-1 α (EF-1α) sequences. These species were thus synonymized. To further explore this synonymy, we carried out a molecular study on specimens from Algeria and Tunisia using the same molecular markers and a part of 28S rDNA. We did not find any morphologically intermediate specimens in our sampling. We highlighted differences between the genetic divergence rates within and between the two species for the three markers and we identified new haplotypes. The sequence analysis did not reveal any signature of introgression in allopatric nor in sympatric populations such as in the Ghomrassen population. Phylogenetic analyses based on our specimens revealed that the two main clades are Ph. chabaudi and Ph. riouxi, in agreement with the morphological identification. These results support the validity of Ph. riouxi and Ph. chabaudi as typological species. © V. Lehrter et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2017.

  20. Analysis of Coaching Science Research Published from 1970-2001

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, Wade D.; Trudel, Pierre

    2004-01-01

    The study followed a four-phase design. In Phase I an exhaustive search was conducted for all English language coaching research published in journals from 1970 to 2001. In Phase II, copies of the research were obtained. An expert panel conducted a manual search and a review in Phase III to address validity. Analysis of the research was completed…

  1. Reforms in Academic Publishing: Should "Behavioral Disorders" and Special Education Journals Embrace Them?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Bryan G.

    2016-01-01

    Bias poses a significant threat to the validity of research findings as well as practices and policies based on research. Reforms to academic publishing have been proposed and implemented in other fields to address bias in research. In this paper I review some sources of bias in research, some proposed areas of reform in academic publishing (e.g.,…

  2. Identification of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus species with the STAPHYtest system.

    PubMed

    Sedlácek, I; Kocur, M

    1991-01-01

    A collection of 216 well-characterized strains of Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Stomatococcus was examined by a commercially available STAPHYtest system (Lachema, Brno, Czechoslovakia). The results of STAPHYtest agreed with those of conventional tests. The STAPHYtest permitted a clear-cut separation of Staphylococcus from Micrococcus and Stomatococcus strains and correctly identified 104 of 145 (72%) Staphylococcus strains after 24 h of incubation. However, it allowed the identification only of 19 of 29 validly published Staphylococcus species. The STAPHYtest proved to be a simple and rapid system for the separation of staphylococci from micrococci and for the identification of most frequent clinically significant staphylococci.

  3. The GBIF Integrated Publishing Toolkit: Facilitating the Efficient Publishing of Biodiversity Data on the Internet

    PubMed Central

    Robertson, Tim; Döring, Markus; Guralnick, Robert; Bloom, David; Wieczorek, John; Braak, Kyle; Otegui, Javier; Russell, Laura; Desmet, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The planet is experiencing an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. Measuring the magnitude and rate of change more effectively requires access to organized, easily discoverable, and digitally-formatted biodiversity data, both legacy and new, from across the globe. Assembling this coherent digital representation of biodiversity requires the integration of data that have historically been analog, dispersed, and heterogeneous. The Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) is a software package developed to support biodiversity dataset publication in a common format. The IPT’s two primary functions are to 1) encode existing species occurrence datasets and checklists, such as records from natural history collections or observations, in the Darwin Core standard to enhance interoperability of data, and 2) publish and archive data and metadata for broad use in a Darwin Core Archive, a set of files following a standard format. Here we discuss the key need for the IPT, how it has developed in response to community input, and how it continues to evolve to streamline and enhance the interoperability, discoverability, and mobilization of new data types beyond basic Darwin Core records. We close with a discussion how IPT has impacted the biodiversity research community, how it enhances data publishing in more traditional journal venues, along with new features implemented in the latest version of the IPT, and future plans for more enhancements. PMID:25099149

  4. Transfer of eleven species of the genus Burkholderia to the genus Paraburkholderia and proposal of Caballeronia gen. nov. to accommodate twelve species of the genera Burkholderia and Paraburkholderia.

    PubMed

    Dobritsa, Anatoly P; Samadpour, Mansour

    2016-08-01

    It has been proposed to split the genus Burkholderia into two genera according to phylogenetic clustering: (1) a genus retaining this name and consisting mainly of animal and plant pathogens and (2) the genus Paraburkholderia including so-called environmental bacteria. The latter genus name has been validly published recently. During the period between the effective and valid publications of the genus name Paraburkholderia, 16 novel species of the genus Burkholderiawere described, but only two of them can be classified as members of this genus based on the emended genus description. Analysis of traits and phylogenetic positions of the other 11 species shows that they belong to the genus Paraburkholderia, and we propose to transfer them to this genus. The reclassified species names are proposed as Paraburkholderia dipogonis comb. nov., Paraburkholderia ginsengiterrae comb. nov., Paraburkholderia humisilvae comb. nov., Paraburkholderia insulsa comb. nov., Paraburkholderia kirstenboschensis comb. nov., Paraburkholderia metalliresistens comb. nov., Paraburkholderia monticola comb. nov., Paraburkholderia panaciterrae comb. nov., Paraburkholderia rhizosphaerae comb. nov., Paraburkholderia solisilvae comb. nov. and Paraburkholderia susongensis comb. nov. The remaining three species are transferred to the new genus Caballeronia gen. nov. proposed to accommodate twelve species of the genera Burkholderia and Paraburkholderia forming a distinctive clade in phylogenetic trees. The new genus members are Caballeronia choica comb. nov., Caballeronia cordobensis comb. nov., Caballeronia glathei comb. nov., Caballeronia grimmiae comb. nov., Caballeronia humi comb. nov., Caballeronia megalochromosomata comb. nov., Caballeronia jiangsuensis comb. nov., Caballeronia sordidicola comb. nov., Caballeronia telluris comb. nov., Caballeronia terrestris comb. nov., Caballeronia udeis comb. nov., and Caballeronia zhejiangensis comb. nov.

  5. STR-validator: an open source platform for validation and process control.

    PubMed

    Hansson, Oskar; Gill, Peter; Egeland, Thore

    2014-11-01

    This paper addresses two problems faced when short tandem repeat (STR) systems are validated for forensic purposes: (1) validation is extremely time consuming and expensive, and (2) there is strong consensus about what to validate but not how. The first problem is solved by powerful data processing functions to automate calculations. Utilising an easy-to-use graphical user interface, strvalidator (hereafter referred to as STR-validator) can greatly increase the speed of validation. The second problem is exemplified by a series of analyses, and subsequent comparison with published material, highlighting the need for a common validation platform. If adopted by the forensic community STR-validator has the potential to standardise the analysis of validation data. This would not only facilitate information exchange but also increase the pace at which laboratories are able to switch to new technology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Design, objectives, execution and reporting of published open-label extension studies.

    PubMed

    Megan, Bowers; Pickering, Ruth M; Weatherall, Mark

    2012-04-01

    Open-label extension (OLE) studies following blinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmaceuticals are increasingly being carried out but do not conform to regulatory standards and questions surround the validity of their evidence. OLE studies are usually discussed as a homogenous group, yet substantial differences in study design still meet the definition of an OLE. We describe published papers reporting OLE studies focussing on stated objectives, design, conduct and reporting. A search of Embase and Medline databases for 1996 to July 2008 revealed 268 papers reporting OLE studies that met our eligibility criteria. A random sample of 50 was selected for detailed review. Over 80% of the studies had efficacy stated as an objective. The most common methods of allocation at the start of the OLE were for all RCT participants to switch to one active treatment or for only participants on the new drug to continue, but in three studies all participants were re-randomized at the start of the OLE. Eligibility criteria and other selection factors resulted in on average of 74% of participants in the preceding RCT(s) enrolling in the OLE and only 57% completed it. Published OLE studies do not form a homogenous group with respect to design or retention of participants, and thus the validity of evidence from an OLE should be judged on an individual basis. The term 'open label' suggests bias through lack of blinding, but slippage in relation to the sample randomized in the preceding RCT may be the more important threat to validity. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  7. Using mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA sequences to test the taxonomic validity of Clinostomum complanatum Rudolphi, 1814 in fish-eating birds and freshwater fishes in Mexico, with the description of a new species.

    PubMed

    Sereno-Uribe, Ana L; Pinacho-Pinacho, Carlos D; García-Varela, Martín; de León, Gerardo Pérez-Ponce

    2013-08-01

    The taxonomic history and species composition of the genus Clinostomum has been unstable. Two species, Clinostomum complanatum Rudolphi, 1814 and Clinostomum marginatum Rudolphi, 1819, have been particularly problematic and its validity has been disputed for nearly 200 years. In this paper, we have made use of an integrative taxonomy approach, and we used, in first instance, DNA sequences of two genes (cox1 and ITS) to test the validity of C. complanatum, a species apparently widely distributed in Mexico and to link the metacercariae and adult forms of the recognized species of Clinostomum. Combining molecular data with morphology, host association, and geographical distribution, we searched for the potential existence of undescribed species. A new species of Clinostomum is described based on adults found in the mouthy cavity of three species of fish-eating birds as well as in metacercariae found in freshwater and estuarine fishes. A few morphological characteristics distinguish the new species from other congeners even though reciprocal monophyly in a phylogenetic tree based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analysis, genetic divergence, and a multivariate analysis of variance and a principal component analysis of 18 morphometric traits for adults and metacercariae demonstrates the validity of the new species. Based on our results, it seems that C. complanatum is not currently distributed in Mexico, although this requires further verification with a more thoroughful sampling in other areas of the country, but it is plausible to support the hypothesis that C. marginatum is the American form, as previously suggested by other authors.

  8. Invasive Species Science Update (No. 1)

    Treesearch

    Mee-Sook Kim; Jack Butler

    2008-01-01

    This electronic newsletter (Invasive Species Science Update) is published by the Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) Cross-Program, Interdisciplinary Project team on Invasive Species. This newsletter will be published 3 times per year and is intended to enhance communication among RMRS scientists, wildland managers, other partners, stakeholders, and customers about...

  9. Desktop Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanley, Milt

    1986-01-01

    Defines desktop publishing, describes microcomputer developments and software tools that make it possible, and discusses its use as an instructional tool to improve writing skills. Reasons why students' work should be published, examples of what to publish, and types of software and hardware to facilitate publishing are reviewed. (MBR)

  10. [Measurement properties of self-report questionnaires published in Korean nursing journals].

    PubMed

    Lee, Eun-Hyun; Kim, Chun-Ja; Kim, Eun Jung; Chae, Hyun-Ju; Cho, Soo-Yeon

    2013-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement properties of self-report questionnaires for studies published in Korean nursing journals. Of 424 Korean nursing articles initially identified, 168 articles met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the measurements used in the studies and interpretability were assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. It consists of items on internal consistency, reliability, measurement error, content validity, construct validity including structural validity, hypothesis testing, cross-cultural validity, and criterion validity, and responsiveness. For each item of the COSMIN checklist, measurement properties are rated on a four-point scale: excellent, good, fair, and poor. Each measurement property is scored with worst score counts. All articles used the classical test theory for measurement properties. Internal consistency (72.6%), construct validity (56.5%), and content validity (38.2%) were most frequently reported properties being rated as 'excellent' by COSMIN checklist, whereas other measurement properties were rarely reported. A systematic review of measurement properties including interpretability of most instruments warrants further research and nursing-focused checklists assessing measurement properties should be developed to facilitate intervention outcomes across Korean studies.

  11. Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list

    PubMed Central

    Cardoso, Domingos; Särkinen, Tiina; Alexander, Sara; Amorim, André M.; Bittrich, Volker; Celis, Marcela; Daly, Douglas C.; Fiaschi, Pedro; Funk, Vicki A.; Giacomin, Leandro L.; Heiden, Gustavo; Iganci, João; Kelloff, Carol L.; Knapp, Sandra; Cavalcante de Lima, Haroldo; Machado, Anderson F. P.; dos Santos, Rubens Manoel; Mello-Silva, Renato; Michelangeli, Fabián A.; Mitchell, John; Moonlight, Peter; de Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues; Mori, Scott A.; Nunes, Teonildes Sacramento; Pennington, Terry D.; Pirani, José Rubens; Prance, Ghillean T.; de Queiroz, Luciano Paganucci; Rapini, Alessandro; Rincon, Carlos Alberto Vargas; Roque, Nádia; Shimizu, Gustavo; Sobral, Marcos; Stehmann, João Renato; Stevens, Warren D.; Taylor, Charlotte M.; Trovó, Marcelo; van den Berg, Cássio; van der Werff, Henk; Viana, Pedro Lage; Zartman, Charles E.; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini

    2017-01-01

    Recent debates on the number of plant species in the vast lowland rain forests of the Amazon have been based largely on model estimates, neglecting published checklists based on verified voucher data. Here we collate taxonomically verified checklists to present a list of seed plant species from lowland Amazon rain forests. Our list comprises 14,003 species, of which 6,727 are trees. These figures are similar to estimates derived from nonparametric ecological models, but they contrast strongly with predictions of much higher tree diversity derived from parametric models. Based on the known proportion of tree species in neotropical lowland rain forest communities as measured in complete plot censuses, and on overall estimates of seed plant diversity in Brazil and in the neotropics in general, it is more likely that tree diversity in the Amazon is closer to the lower estimates derived from nonparametric models. Much remains unknown about Amazonian plant diversity, but this taxonomically verified dataset provides a valid starting point for macroecological and evolutionary studies aimed at understanding the origin, evolution, and ecology of the exceptional biodiversity of Amazonian forests. PMID:28923966

  12. Infections Caused by Fusarium Species in Pediatric Cancer Patients and Review of Published Literature.

    PubMed

    Arnoni, Mariana Volpe; Paula, Claudete Rodrigues; Auler, Marcos Ereno; Simões, Cirilo Cesar Naozuka; Nakano, Shirley; Szeszs, Maria Walderez; Melhem, Márcia de Souza Carvalho; Pereira, Virgínia Bodelão Richini; Garces, Hans Garcia; Bagagli, Eduardo; Silva, Eriques Gonçalves; de Macêdo, Melissa Ferreira; Ruiz, Luciana da Silva

    2018-03-21

    Fusarium species have emerged as responsible for a broad spectrum of infections, including superficial, locally invasive and disseminated ones, especially in the hospital environment. Since there are few reports of invasive and disseminated fusariosis in children, the aim of this study was to report four cases of nosocomial infection caused by this microorganism in children with cancer hospitalized in a public children's hospital located in Brazil. Two of these patients were female and two were male. All patients presented febrile neutropenia, while three patients had acute lymphocytic leukemia and one patient had Wilms' tumor as underlying disease. In two cases, fungi were isolated from blood and identified as Fusarium oxysporum species complex after phenotypic and genotypic studies, while in two other cases fungi were isolated from skin biopsies and identified as Fusarium solani species complex. One patient died 12 days after the onset of cutaneous lesions. All isolates, after susceptibility testing, presented high levels of minimum inhibitory concentration for itraconazole, voriconazole and amphotericin B. Considering the emergence of filamentous fungi as etiologic agents of nosocomial infections, health professionals should be aware of the problems these infections, especially fungal ones, may cause to debilitated patients.

  13. Generic revision and species classification of the Microdontinae (Diptera, Syrphidae)

    PubMed Central

    Reemer, Menno; Ståhls, Gunilla

    2013-01-01

    Abstract With 552 species group names available (excluding misspellings), the Microdontinae constitute the smallest of the three subfamilies of Syrphidae. Paradoxically, this subfamily is taxonomically the least organized of the three: 388 species names were previously classified in a single genus, Microdon Meigen, 1803. The present paper introduces a new generic classification of the Microdontinae, relying partly on the results of phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data as published in other papers, and partly on examination of primary type specimens of 347 taxa, plus additional material, and original descriptions. A total number of 67 genus group names (excluding misspellings) are evaluated, redescribed, diagnosed and discussed, with several implications for their taxonomic status. Of these, 43 names are considered as valid genera, 7 as subgenera, 17 as synonyms. Two generic names (Ceratoconcha Simroth, 1907, Nothomicrodon Wheeler, 1924) are left unplaced, because they are known from immature stages only and cannot be reliably associated with taxa known from adults. The following 10 new genera are described by Reemer: Domodon, Heliodon, Laetodon, Menidon, Mermerizon, Metadon, Peradon, Piruwa, Sulcodon and Thompsodon. A key to all genera, subgenera and species groups is given. A total number of 26 new species are described in the following genera: Archimicrodon Hull, 1945, Ceratrichomyia Séguy, 1951, Domodon, Furcantenna Cheng, 2008, Heliodon, Indascia Keiser, 1958, Kryptopyga Hull, 1944, Masarygus Brèthes. 1908, Mermerizon, Metadon, Microdon, Paramixogaster Brunetti, 1923, Piruwa, Pseudomicrodon Hull, 1937, Rhopalosyrphus Giglio-Tos, 1891, and Thompsodon. New lectotypes are designated for Ceratrichomyia behara Séguy, 1951 and Microdon iheringi Bezzi, 1910. A total number of 267 new combinations of species and genera are proposed. New synonyms are proposed for 19 species group names. Three replacement names are introduced for primary and

  14. Two New Species of the Simulium (Simulium) variegatum Species-Group of Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) From Thailand.

    PubMed

    Takaoka, Hiroyuki; Srisuka, Wichai; Saeung, Atiporn

    2017-09-01

    Two new species of black flies, Simulium (Simulium) srisukai and S. (S.) kiewmaepanense, are described from specimens collected in Thailand. Both species are assigned to the Simulium variegatum species-group of the subgenus Simulium (Simulium) Latreille. They are characterized by the darkened female femora and tibiae and six inflated pupal gill filaments, and the darkened female tibiae and six ordinary thread-like pupal gill filaments, respectively. Taxonomic notes are given to separate these new species from 10 related species among the group. These new species represent the third and fourth species of the S. variegatum species-group from Thailand. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com Version of Record, first published online May 15, 2017 with fixed content and layout in compliance with Art. 8.1.3.2 ICZN.

  15. Validation of ozone response functions for annual Mediterranean pasture species using close-to-field-conditions experiments.

    PubMed

    González-Fernández, Ignacio; Sanz, Javier; Calvete-Sogo, Héctor; Elvira, Susana; Alonso, Rocío; Bermejo-Bermejo, Victoria

    2017-12-01

    Ozone (O 3 ) critical levels have been established under the Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention to assess the risk of O 3 effects in European vegetation. A recent review study has led to the development of O 3 critical levels for annual Mediterranean pasture species using plants growing in well-watered pots at a coastal site and under low levels of competition. However, uncertainties remain in the extrapolation of the O 3 sensitivity of these species under natural conditions. The response of two O 3 -sensitive annual Mediterranean pasture Trifolium species at the coastal site was compared with the response of the same species growing at a continental site, in natural soil and subject to water-stress and inter-specific competition, representing more closely their natural habitat. The slopes of exposure- and dose-response relationships derived for the two sites showed differences in the response to O 3 between sites attributed to differences in environmental growing conditions, growing medium and the level of inter-specific competition, but the effect of the individual factors could not be assessed separately. Dose-based O 3 indices partially explained differences due to environmental growing conditions between sites. The slopes showed that plants were more sensitive to O 3 at the continental site, but homogeneity of slopes tests revealed that results from both experimental sites may be combined. Although more experimental data considering complex inter-specific competition situations and the effect of important interactive factors such as nitrogen would be needed, these results confirm the validity of applying the current flux-based O 3 critical level under close to natural growing conditions. The AOT40-based O 3 critical level derived at the coastal site was also considered a suitable risk indicator in close to natural growing conditions in the absence of soil moisture limitations on plant growth.

  16. A high-density, multi-parental SNP genetic map on apple validates a new mapping approach for outcrossing species.

    PubMed

    Di Pierro, Erica A; Gianfranceschi, Luca; Di Guardo, Mario; Koehorst-van Putten, Herma Jj; Kruisselbrink, Johannes W; Longhi, Sara; Troggio, Michela; Bianco, Luca; Muranty, Hélène; Pagliarani, Giulia; Tartarini, Stefano; Letschka, Thomas; Lozano Luis, Lidia; Garkava-Gustavsson, Larisa; Micheletti, Diego; Bink, Marco Cam; Voorrips, Roeland E; Aziz, Ebrahimi; Velasco, Riccardo; Laurens, François; van de Weg, W Eric

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping approaches rely on the correct ordering of molecular markers along the chromosomes, which can be obtained from genetic linkage maps or a reference genome sequence. For apple ( Malus domestica Borkh), the genome sequence v1 and v2 could not meet this need; therefore, a novel approach was devised to develop a dense genetic linkage map, providing the most reliable marker-loci order for the highest possible number of markers. The approach was based on four strategies: (i) the use of multiple full-sib families, (ii) the reduction of missing information through the use of HaploBlocks and alternative calling procedures for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, (iii) the construction of a single backcross-type data set including all families, and (iv) a two-step map generation procedure based on the sequential inclusion of markers. The map comprises 15 417 SNP markers, clustered in 3 K HaploBlock markers spanning 1 267 cM, with an average distance between adjacent markers of 0.37 cM and a maximum distance of 3.29 cM. Moreover, chromosome 5 was oriented according to its homoeologous chromosome 10. This map was useful to improve the apple genome sequence, design the Axiom Apple 480 K SNP array and perform multifamily-based QTL studies. Its collinearity with the genome sequences v1 and v3 are reported. To our knowledge, this is the shortest published SNP map in apple, while including the largest number of markers, families and individuals. This result validates our methodology, proving its value for the construction of integrated linkage maps for any outbreeding species.

  17. A high-density, multi-parental SNP genetic map on apple validates a new mapping approach for outcrossing species

    PubMed Central

    Di Pierro, Erica A; Gianfranceschi, Luca; Di Guardo, Mario; Koehorst-van Putten, Herma JJ; Kruisselbrink, Johannes W; Longhi, Sara; Troggio, Michela; Bianco, Luca; Muranty, Hélène; Pagliarani, Giulia; Tartarini, Stefano; Letschka, Thomas; Lozano Luis, Lidia; Garkava-Gustavsson, Larisa; Micheletti, Diego; Bink, Marco CAM; Voorrips, Roeland E; Aziz, Ebrahimi; Velasco, Riccardo; Laurens, François; van de Weg, W Eric

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping approaches rely on the correct ordering of molecular markers along the chromosomes, which can be obtained from genetic linkage maps or a reference genome sequence. For apple (Malus domestica Borkh), the genome sequence v1 and v2 could not meet this need; therefore, a novel approach was devised to develop a dense genetic linkage map, providing the most reliable marker-loci order for the highest possible number of markers. The approach was based on four strategies: (i) the use of multiple full-sib families, (ii) the reduction of missing information through the use of HaploBlocks and alternative calling procedures for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, (iii) the construction of a single backcross-type data set including all families, and (iv) a two-step map generation procedure based on the sequential inclusion of markers. The map comprises 15 417 SNP markers, clustered in 3 K HaploBlock markers spanning 1 267 cM, with an average distance between adjacent markers of 0.37 cM and a maximum distance of 3.29 cM. Moreover, chromosome 5 was oriented according to its homoeologous chromosome 10. This map was useful to improve the apple genome sequence, design the Axiom Apple 480 K SNP array and perform multifamily-based QTL studies. Its collinearity with the genome sequences v1 and v3 are reported. To our knowledge, this is the shortest published SNP map in apple, while including the largest number of markers, families and individuals. This result validates our methodology, proving its value for the construction of integrated linkage maps for any outbreeding species. PMID:27917289

  18. [Report of Internal Consistency of the Scales in Research Published in the Colombian Journal of Psychiatry].

    PubMed

    Campo-Arias, Adalberto

    2013-03-01

    Establishment of the frequency of reporting internal consistency of the scales in research published in the Colombian Journal of Psychiatry (CJP) between 2006 and 2010. A descriptive study was carried out which computes the report of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) of scales in research published as original papers in the CJP. Validation studies were excluded. A total of 114 articles were published and 30 of them were included in the analysis. Researchers applied 67 scales for measuring some variables and Cronbach alpha of 20 (29.8%) scales was reported in the participating population. In the CJP, few published studies that apply measuring scales for variables report internal consistency in the analyzed sample. It is necessary for authors to report the internal consistency of used scales in the study population to guarantee the validity of conclusions. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  19. New flux based dose-response relationships for ozone for European forest tree species.

    PubMed

    Büker, P; Feng, Z; Uddling, J; Briolat, A; Alonso, R; Braun, S; Elvira, S; Gerosa, G; Karlsson, P E; Le Thiec, D; Marzuoli, R; Mills, G; Oksanen, E; Wieser, G; Wilkinson, M; Emberson, L D

    2015-11-01

    To derive O3 dose-response relationships (DRR) for five European forest trees species and broadleaf deciduous and needleleaf tree plant functional types (PFTs), phytotoxic O3 doses (PODy) were related to biomass reductions. PODy was calculated using a stomatal flux model with a range of cut-off thresholds (y) indicative of varying detoxification capacities. Linear regression analysis showed that DRR for PFT and individual tree species differed in their robustness. A simplified parameterisation of the flux model was tested and showed that for most non-Mediterranean tree species, this simplified model led to similarly robust DRR as compared to a species- and climate region-specific parameterisation. Experimentally induced soil water stress was not found to substantially reduce PODy, mainly due to the short duration of soil water stress periods. This study validates the stomatal O3 flux concept and represents a step forward in predicting O3 damage to forests in a spatially and temporally varying climate. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Comparing published scientific journal articles to their pre-print versions

    DOE PAGES

    Klein, Martin; Broadwell, Peter; Farb, Sharon E.; ...

    2018-02-05

    Academic publishers claim that they add value to scholarly communications by coordinating reviews and contributing and enhancing text during publication. These contributions come at a considerable cost: US academic libraries paid $1.7 billion for serial subscriptions in 2008 alone. Library budgets, in contrast, are flat and not able to keep pace with serial price inflation. Here, we have investigated the publishers’ value proposition by conducting a comparative study of pre-print papers from two distinct science, technology, and medicine corpora and their final published counterparts. This comparison had two working assumptions: (1) If the publishers’ argument is valid, the text ofmore » a pre-print paper should vary measurably from its corresponding final published version, and (2) by applying standard similarity measures, we should be able to detect and quantify such differences. Our analysis revealed that the text contents of the scientific papers generally changed very little from their pre-print to final published versions. These findings contribute empirical indicators to discussions of the added value of commercial publishers and therefore should influence libraries’ economic decisions regarding access to scholarly publications.« less

  1. Comparing published scientific journal articles to their pre-print versions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Klein, Martin; Broadwell, Peter; Farb, Sharon E.

    Academic publishers claim that they add value to scholarly communications by coordinating reviews and contributing and enhancing text during publication. These contributions come at a considerable cost: US academic libraries paid $1.7 billion for serial subscriptions in 2008 alone. Library budgets, in contrast, are flat and not able to keep pace with serial price inflation. Here, we have investigated the publishers’ value proposition by conducting a comparative study of pre-print papers from two distinct science, technology, and medicine corpora and their final published counterparts. This comparison had two working assumptions: (1) If the publishers’ argument is valid, the text ofmore » a pre-print paper should vary measurably from its corresponding final published version, and (2) by applying standard similarity measures, we should be able to detect and quantify such differences. Our analysis revealed that the text contents of the scientific papers generally changed very little from their pre-print to final published versions. These findings contribute empirical indicators to discussions of the added value of commercial publishers and therefore should influence libraries’ economic decisions regarding access to scholarly publications.« less

  2. The Economics of Publishing and the Publishing of Economics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Manna, Manfredi

    2003-01-01

    Explores the relationship between economics and scientific journal publishing. Topics include journal pricing in economics; market power exerted by the dominant commercial publisher in economics journal publishing; academic experiments to improve scholarly communication in economics; policies of the United Kingdom Competition Commission; and…

  3. Hyperapolytic species of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea) from batoids off Argentina.

    PubMed

    Franzese, Sebastián; Ivanov, Verónica A

    2018-08-01

    Two hyperapolytic species of Acanthobothrium Blanchard, 1848 have been collected from Discopyge tschudii Heckel, 1846 and Zapteryx brevirostris (Müller et Henle) along the coast of Argentina. Acanthobothrium stefaniae sp. n. from D. tschudii is a category one species (i.e., it is less than 15 mm in total length, possesses fewer than 50 proglottids, fewer than 80 testes and essentially symmetrical ovary), and differs from all congeners by the following combination of features: proglottid hyperapolysis, hook morphology, size and shape of the cirrus sac, and by having spinitriches in the distal bothridial surface. This is the first record of Acanthobothrium in Discopyge Heckel, 1846. The specimens from Z. brevirostris conform to the morphology of Acanthobothrium zapterycum Ostrowski de Núñez, 1971. A redescription of this species is presented, which expands most ranges of measurements originally given, and provides details omitted in the original description, including the microthrix pattern. This study allowed us to observe the intraspecific variation in ovarian symmetry in A. zapterycum, which shed some doubt on the validity of this as a diagnostic feature. The reproductive strategy (apolysis) of several species of Acanthobothrium was reviewed and summarized. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Uncertainties and validation of alien species catalogues: The Mediterranean as an example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zenetos, Argyro; Çinar, Melih Ertan; Crocetta, Fabio; Golani, Dani; Rosso, Antonietta; Servello, Gianna; Shenkar, Noa; Turon, Xavier; Verlaque, Marc

    2017-05-01

    The meticulous revision by taxonomic experts of established alien species in the Mediterranean resulted in a major revision of the list proposed by Galil et al. (2016), with 73 species to be excluded (35 species categorised as non-established and 37 as not true aliens), and 72 species added to the list. Consequently, by year 2016 the total number of established alien species in the Mediterranean reached 613, which is a 28% increase over the preceding four years. If we also consider casual species (208 species), the total number of alien species in the Mediterranean is 821. This is attributed to: new findings, change in establishment status of species previously known on the basis of few and scattered records, and results of phylogenetic studies in some cosmopolitan species. However, the true number of alien species reported here is considered to be an underestimation, as it does not include phytoplanktonic organisms, Foraminifera, cryptogenic and species known on the basis of questionable records that might turn out to be true aliens. EASIN and INVASIVESNET can play a major role in the future revision/update of the present list, which currently serves for assessing indicators that are necessary for policy, and for management of alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. An increasing trend in new arrivals since 1950, which culminated in the 2001-2010 period, appeared to decline after 2010. Whether this negative trend is an indication of improvement, or is an artefact, remains to be seen. The current list provides a reliable updated database from which to continue monitoring the arrival and spread of invasive species in the Mediterranean, as well as to provide counsel to governmental agencies with respect to management and control. Current geographical, taxonomical and impact data gaps can be reduced only by instituting harmonised standards and methodologies for monitoring alien populations in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

  5. The ESO Survey of Non-Publishing Programmes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patat, F.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Bordelon, D.; Grothkopf, U.; Meakins, S.; Mieske, S.; Rejkuba, M.

    2017-12-01

    One of the classic ways to measure the success of a scientific facility is the publication return, which is defined as the refereed papers produced per unit of allocated resources (for example, telescope time or proposals). The recent studies by Sterzik et al. (2015, 2016) have shown that 30–50 % of the programmes allocated time at ESO do not produce a refereed publication. While this may be inherent to the scientific process, this finding prompted further investigation. For this purpose, ESO conducted a Survey of Non-Publishing Programmes (SNPP) within the activities of the Time Allocation Working Group, similar to the monitoring campaign that was recently implemented at ALMA (Stoehr et al., 2016). The SNPP targeted 1278 programmes scheduled between ESO Periods 78 and 90 (October 2006 to March 2013) that had not published a refereed paper as of April 2016. The poll was launched on 6 May 2016, remained open for four weeks, and returned 965 valid responses. This article summarises and discusses the results of this survey, the first of its kind at ESO.

  6. Publishing in the Next Few Years: A Commercial Publisher's Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blom, Harry J. J.

    Over the past 15 years, internet technology changed the ways of publishing tremendously. It is truly revolutionary that both fresh and historic science publications are so much easier to search and find. This revolution has not been completed and all parties involved in science publishing are continuously adjusting their activities to the new rules and opportunities. From a commercial publisher's perspective, I will extrapolate what happens today to predict what happens in the next few years with journal subscriptions, book publishing, marketing, production and other steps in the publishing process.

  7. Validation of hierarchical cluster analysis for identification of bacterial species using 42 bacterial isolates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghebremedhin, Meron; Yesupriya, Shubha; Luka, Janos; Crane, Nicole J.

    2015-03-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated the potential advantages of the use of Raman spectroscopy in the biomedical field due to its rapidity and noninvasive nature. In this study, Raman spectroscopy is applied as a method for differentiating between bacteria isolates for Gram status and Genus species. We created models for identifying 28 bacterial isolates using spectra collected with a 785 nm laser excitation Raman spectroscopic system. In order to investigate the groupings of these samples, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was implemented. In addition, cluster analyses of the isolates were performed using various data types consisting of, biochemical tests, gene sequence alignment, high resolution melt (HRM) analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility tests of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and degree of antimicrobial resistance (SIR). In order to evaluate the ability of these models to correctly classify bacterial isolates using solely Raman spectroscopic data, a set of 14 validation samples were tested using the PLSDA models and consequently the HCA models. External cluster evaluation criteria of purity and Rand index were calculated at different taxonomic levels to compare the performance of clustering using Raman spectra as well as the other datasets. Results showed that Raman spectra performed comparably, and in some cases better than, the other data types with Rand index and purity values up to 0.933 and 0.947, respectively. This study clearly demonstrates that the discrimination of bacterial species using Raman spectroscopic data and hierarchical cluster analysis is possible and has the potential to be a powerful point-of-care tool in clinical settings.

  8. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a tool for differentiation of Bradyrhizobium species: application to the identification of Lupinus nodulating strains.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Juanes, Fernando; Ferreira, Laura; Alonso de la Vega, Pablo; Valverde, Angel; Barrios, Milagros León; Rivas, Raúl; Mateos, Pedro F; Martínez-Molina, Eustoquio; González-Buitrago, José Manuel; Trujillo, Martha E; Velázquez, Encarna

    2013-12-01

    Genus Bradyrhizobium includes slow growing bacteria able to nodulate different legumes as well as species isolated from plant tumours. The slow growth presented by the members of this genus and the phylogenetic closeness of most of its species difficults their identification. In the present work we applied for the first time Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to the analysis of Bradyrhizobium species after the extension of MALDI Biotyper 2.0 database with the currently valid species of this genus. With this methodology it was possible to identify strains belonging to phylogenetically closely related species of genus Bradyrhizobium allowing the discrimination among species with rrs gene identities higher than 99%. The application of MALDI-TOF MS to strains isolated from nodules of different Lupinus species in diverse geographical locations allowed their correct identification when comparing with the results of rrs gene and ITS analyses. The nodulation of Lupinus gredensis, an endemic species of the west of Spain, by B. canariense supports the European origin of this species. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  9. Telemedicine and Diabetic Retinopathy: Review of Published Screening Programs

    PubMed Central

    Tozer, Kevin; Woodward, Maria A.; Newman-Casey, Paula A.

    2016-01-01

    Background Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide even though successful treatments exist. Improving screening and treatment could avoid many cases of vision loss. However, due to an increasing prevalence of diabetes, traditional in-person screening for DR for every diabetic patient is not feasible. Telemedicine is one viable solution to provide high-quality and efficient screening to large number of diabetic patients. Purpose To provide a narrative review of large DR telemedicine screening programs. Methods Articles were identified through a comprehensive search of the English-language literature published between 2000 and 2014. Telemedicine screening programs were included for review if they had published data on at least 150 patients and had available validation studies supporting their model. Screening programs were then categorized according to their American Telemedicine Association Validation Level. Results Seven programs from the US and abroad were identified and included in the review. Three programs were Category 1 programs (Ophdiat, EyePacs, and Digiscope), two were Category 2 programs (Eye Check, NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Program), and two were Category 3 programs (Joslin Vision Network, Alberta Screening Program). No program was identified that claimed category 4 status. Programs ranged from community or city level programs to large nationwide programs including millions of individuals. The programs demonstrated a high level of clinical accuracy in screening for DR. There was no consensus amongst the programs regarding the need for dilation, need for stereoscopic images, or the level of training for approved image graders. Conclusion Telemedicine programs have been clinically validated and successfully implemented across the globe. They can provide a high-level of clinical accuracy for screening for DR while improving patient access in a cost-effective and scalable manner. PMID:27430019

  10. Construct Validation in Counseling Psychology Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoyt, William T.; Warbasse, Rosalia E.; Chu, Erica Y.

    2006-01-01

    Counseling psychology researchers devote little attention to theory-based measurement validation, as evidenced by cursory mention of validity issues in the method and discussion sections of published research reports. Especially, many researchers appear unaware of the limitations of correlations between pairs of self-report measures as evidence of…

  11. Isolation, Culture and Cryopreservation of Sarcocystis species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    More than 200 valid Sarcocystis species have been described in the parasitological literature. The developmental life cycle in the intermediate host and definitive host has only been described for a few species. The majority of species have been identified based solely on the presence of the sarcocy...

  12. Electronic publishing and information handling: Plenty of roses, but also some thorns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heck, André

    The current dramatic evolution in information technology is bringing major modifications in the way scientists communicate. The concept of 'electronic publishing' is too restrictive and has often different, sometimes conflicting, interpretations. It is giving way to the broader notion of 'electronic information handling' encompassing the diverse types of information, the different media, as well as the various communication methodologies and technologies. New problems and challenges result also from this new information culture, especially on legal, ethical, and educational grounds. The procedures for validating 'published material' and for evaluating scientific activities will have to be adjusted too. 'Fluid' information is becoming an omnipresent reality. Electronic publishing cannot be conceived without link to knowledge bases and information resources, nor without intelligent information retrieval tools.

  13. Comparative molecular species delimitation in the charismatic Nawab butterflies (Nymphalidae, Charaxinae, Polyura).

    PubMed

    Toussaint, Emmanuel F A; Morinière, Jérôme; Müller, Chris J; Kunte, Krushnamegh; Turlin, Bernard; Hausmann, Axel; Balke, Michael

    2015-10-01

    The charismatic tropical Polyura Nawab butterflies are distributed across twelve biodiversity hotspots in the Indomalayan/Australasian archipelago. In this study, we tested an array of species delimitation methods and compared the results to existing morphology-based taxonomy. We sequenced two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within Polyura using both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood. Based on this phylogenetic framework, we used the recently introduced bGMYC, BPP and PTP methods to investigate species boundaries. Based on our results, we describe two new species Polyura paulettae Toussaint sp. n. and Polyura smilesi Toussaint sp. n., propose one synonym, and five populations are raised to species status. Most of the newly recognized species are single-island endemics likely resulting from the recent highly complex geological history of the Indomalayan-Australasian archipelago. Surprisingly, we also find two newly recognized species in the Indomalayan region where additional biotic or abiotic factors have fostered speciation. Species delimitation methods were largely congruent and succeeded to cross-validate most extant morphological species. PTP and BPP seem to yield more consistent and robust estimations of species boundaries with respect to morphological characters while bGMYC delivered contrasting results depending on the different gene trees considered. Our findings demonstrate the efficiency of comparative approaches using molecular species delimitation methods on empirical data. They also pave the way for the investigation of less well-known groups to unveil patterns of species richness and catalogue Earth's concealed, therefore unappreciated diversity. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. FIA's volume-to-biomass conversion method (CRM) generally underestimates biomass in comparison to published equations

    Treesearch

    David. C. Chojnacky

    2012-01-01

    An update of the Jenkins et al. (2003) biomass estimation equations for North American tree species resulted in 35 generalized equations developed from published equations. These 35 equations, which predict aboveground biomass of individual species grouped according to a taxa classification (based on genus or family and sometimes specific gravity), generally predicted...

  15. [Half century of botany publishing in Revista de Biologia Tropical].

    PubMed

    León, Jorge

    2002-01-01

    Over its first half century the Revista de Biología Tropical published many papers and supplements dealing with the botany. However, the Revista is not a primary botanical journal. A wide variety of topics and geographic sources have been included, taking into consideration species from the Neotropics, but also from India and Nigeria. A complete index of botanical papers is presented.

  16. Use of cccupancy models to evaluate expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Iglecia, Monica N.; Collazo, Jaime A.; McKerrow, Alexa

    2012-01-01

    Expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships are used extensively to guide conservation planning, particularly when data are scarce. Purported relationships describe the initial state of knowledge, but are rarely tested. We assessed support in the data for suitability rankings of vegetation types based on expert knowledge for three terrestrial avian species in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States. Experts used published studies, natural history, survey data, and field experience to rank vegetation types as optimal, suitable, and marginal. We used single-season occupancy models, coupled with land cover and Breeding Bird Survey data, to examine the hypothesis that patterns of occupancy conformed to species-habitat suitability rankings purported by experts. Purported habitat suitability was validated for two of three species. As predicted for the Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) and Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), occupancy was strongly influenced by vegetation types classified as “optimal habitat” by the species suitability rankings for nuthatches and wood-pewees. Contrary to predictions, Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) models that included vegetation types as covariates received similar support by the data as models without vegetation types. For all three species, occupancy was also related to sampling latitude. Our results suggest that covariates representing other habitat requirements might be necessary to model occurrence of generalist species like the woodpecker. The modeling approach described herein provides a means to test expert knowledge-based species-habitat relationships, and hence, help guide conservation planning.

  17. Analysis of thirteen predatory publishers: a trap for eager-to-publish researchers.

    PubMed

    Bolshete, Pravin

    2018-01-01

    To demonstrate a strategy employed by predatory publishers to trap eager-to-publish authors or researchers into submitting their work. This was a case study of 13 potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access publishers with similar characteristics. Eleven publishers were included from Beall's list and two additional publishers were identified from a Google web search. Each publisher's site was visited and its content analyzed. Publishers publishing biomedical journals were further explored and additional data was collected regarding their volumes, details of publications and editorial-board members. Overall, the look and feel of all 13 publishers was similar including names of publishers, website addresses, homepage content, homepage images, list of journals and subject areas, as if they were copied and pasted. There were discrepancies in article-processing charges within the publishers. None of the publishers identified names in their contact details and primarily included only email addresses. Author instructions were similar across all 13 publishers. Most publishers listed journals of varied subject areas including biomedical journals (12 publishers) covering different geographic locations. Most biomedical journals published none or very few articles. The highest number of articles published by any single biomedical journal was 28. Several editorial-board members were listed across more than one journals, with one member listed 81 times in different 69 journals (i.e. twice in 12 journals). There was a strong reason to believe that predatory publishers may have several publication houses with different names under a single roof to trap authors from different geographic locations.

  18. Sequencing of the variable region of rpsB to discriminate between Streptococcus pneumoniae and other streptococcal species.

    PubMed

    Wyllie, Anne L; Pannekoek, Yvonne; Bovenkerk, Sandra; van Engelsdorp Gastelaars, Jody; Ferwerda, Bart; van de Beek, Diederik; Sanders, Elisabeth A M; Trzciński, Krzysztof; van der Ende, Arie

    2017-09-01

    The vast majority of streptococci colonizing the human upper respiratory tract are commensals, only sporadically implicated in disease. Of these, the most pathogenic is Mitis group member, Streptococcus pneumoniae Phenotypic and genetic similarities between streptococci can cause difficulties in species identification. Using ribosomal S2-gene sequences extracted from whole-genome sequences published from 501 streptococci, we developed a method to identify streptococcal species. We validated this method on non-pneumococcal isolates cultured from cases of severe streptococcal disease ( n = 101) and from carriage ( n = 103), and on non-typeable pneumococci from asymptomatic individuals ( n = 17) and on whole-genome sequences of 1157 pneumococcal isolates from meningitis in the Netherlands. Following this, we tested 221 streptococcal isolates in molecular assays originally assumed specific for S. pneumoniae , targeting cpsA , lytA , piaB , ply , Spn9802, zmpC and capsule-type-specific genes. Cluster analysis of S2-sequences showed grouping according to species in line with published phylogenies of streptococcal core genomes. S2-typing convincingly distinguished pneumococci from non-pneumococcal species (99.2% sensitivity, 100% specificity). Molecular assays targeting regions of lytA and piaB were 100% specific for S. pneumoniae , whereas assays targeting cpsA , ply , Spn9802, zmpC and selected serotype-specific assays (but not capsular sequence typing) showed a lack of specificity. False positive results were over-represented in species associated with carriage, although no particular confounding signal was unique for carriage isolates. © 2017 The Authors.

  19. Sequencing of the variable region of rpsB to discriminate between Streptococcus pneumoniae and other streptococcal species

    PubMed Central

    Pannekoek, Yvonne; Bovenkerk, Sandra; van Engelsdorp Gastelaars, Jody; Ferwerda, Bart; van de Beek, Diederik; Sanders, Elisabeth A. M.; Trzciński, Krzysztof; van der Ende, Arie

    2017-01-01

    The vast majority of streptococci colonizing the human upper respiratory tract are commensals, only sporadically implicated in disease. Of these, the most pathogenic is Mitis group member, Streptococcus pneumoniae. Phenotypic and genetic similarities between streptococci can cause difficulties in species identification. Using ribosomal S2-gene sequences extracted from whole-genome sequences published from 501 streptococci, we developed a method to identify streptococcal species. We validated this method on non-pneumococcal isolates cultured from cases of severe streptococcal disease (n = 101) and from carriage (n = 103), and on non-typeable pneumococci from asymptomatic individuals (n = 17) and on whole-genome sequences of 1157 pneumococcal isolates from meningitis in the Netherlands. Following this, we tested 221 streptococcal isolates in molecular assays originally assumed specific for S. pneumoniae, targeting cpsA, lytA, piaB, ply, Spn9802, zmpC and capsule-type-specific genes. Cluster analysis of S2-sequences showed grouping according to species in line with published phylogenies of streptococcal core genomes. S2-typing convincingly distinguished pneumococci from non-pneumococcal species (99.2% sensitivity, 100% specificity). Molecular assays targeting regions of lytA and piaB were 100% specific for S. pneumoniae, whereas assays targeting cpsA, ply, Spn9802, zmpC and selected serotype-specific assays (but not capsular sequence typing) showed a lack of specificity. False positive results were over-represented in species associated with carriage, although no particular confounding signal was unique for carriage isolates. PMID:28931649

  20. Eighteen microsatellite loci in Salix arbutifolia (Salicaceae) and cross-species amplification in Salix and Populus species.

    PubMed

    Hoshikawa, Takeshi; Kikuchi, Satoshi; Nagamitsu, Teruyoshi; Tomaru, Nobuhiro

    2009-07-01

    Salix arbutifolia is a riparian dioecious tree species that is of conservation concern in Japan because of its highly restricted distribution. Eighteen polymorphic loci of dinucleotide microsatellites were isolated and characterized. Among these, estimates of the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.350 to 0.879. Cross-species amplification was successful at 9-13 loci among six Salix species and at three loci in one Populus species. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Addressing Participant Validity in a Small Internet Health Survey (The Restore Study): Protocol and Recommendations for Survey Response Validation.

    PubMed

    Dewitt, James; Capistrant, Benjamin; Kohli, Nidhi; Rosser, B R Simon; Mitteldorf, Darryl; Merengwa, Enyinnaya; West, William

    2018-04-24

    While deduplication and cross-validation protocols have been recommended for large Web-based studies, protocols for survey response validation of smaller studies have not been published. This paper reports the challenges of survey validation inherent in a small Web-based health survey research. The subject population was North American, gay and bisexual, prostate cancer survivors, who represent an under-researched, hidden, difficult-to-recruit, minority-within-a-minority population. In 2015-2016, advertising on a large Web-based cancer survivor support network, using email and social media, yielded 478 completed surveys. Our manual deduplication and cross-validation protocol identified 289 survey submissions (289/478, 60.4%) as likely spam, most stemming from advertising on social media. The basic components of this deduplication and validation protocol are detailed. An unexpected challenge encountered was invalid survey responses evolving across the study period. This necessitated the static detection protocol be augmented with a dynamic one. Five recommendations for validation of Web-based samples, especially with smaller difficult-to-recruit populations, are detailed. ©James Dewitt, Benjamin Capistrant, Nidhi Kohli, B R Simon Rosser, Darryl Mitteldorf, Enyinnaya Merengwa, William West. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 24.04.2018.

  2. The experience of critiquing published research: learning from the student and researcher perspective.

    PubMed

    Knowles, Judie M; Gray, Morag A

    2011-11-01

    This paper commences with affirmation of the importance of research critique within academic programmes of study, and the context of this skill within the nursing profession. Judie (student) shares an experience from a Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) assignment that involved selecting and critiquing a piece of published research. "The qualities of an effective mentor" (Gray and Smith, 2000) was critiqued using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP, 2006) framework. Morag was the researcher and co-author (Gray and Smith, 2000) and was subsequently contacted by Judie for the purposes of validating her critique assignment. On the tenth anniversary since publication of her PhD research findings Morag reflects on the original article in the light of Judie's critique and shares evaluative comments. Some of the assignment critique is validated by Morag, whilst some of the evaluation demonstrates unreliability of critique shown by Judie. Discussion surrounding sufficiency of research critique through systematic examination of a published article, versus an original research report such as a thesis ensues. The student and researcher/author reveal their learning from this collaborative experience and conclude with recommendations for; setting critique assignments; authors publishing their research findings; and students undertaking critique assignments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The use of noninvasive and minimally invasive methods in endocrinology for threatened mammalian species conservation.

    PubMed

    Kersey, David C; Dehnhard, Martin

    2014-07-01

    Endocrinology is an indispensable tool in threatened species research. The study of endocrinology in threatened species not only advances knowledge of endocrine mechanism but also contributes to conservation efforts of studied species. To this end, endocrinology has been traditionally used to understand reproductive and adrenocortical endocrine axes by quantifying excreted steroid metabolites. From these studies a large body of knowledge was created that contributed to the field of endocrinology, aided conservation efforts, and created a template by which to validate and conduct this research for other species. In this regard noninvasive hormone monitoring has become a favored approach to study the basic endocrinology of wildlife species. Due to the increased understanding of endocrine physiology of threatened species, breeding rates of captive population have improved to levels allowing for reintroduction of species to restored natural ecosystems. Although these approaches are still employed, advances in biochemical, molecular, and genomic technologies are providing inroads to describe lesser known endocrine activity in threatened species. These new avenues of research will allow for growth of the field with greater depth and breadth. However, for all approaches to endocrinology, limitations on resources and access to animals will require innovation of current methodologies to permit broad application for use in threatened species research. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. External validation of a Cox prognostic model: principles and methods

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background A prognostic model should not enter clinical practice unless it has been demonstrated that it performs a useful role. External validation denotes evaluation of model performance in a sample independent of that used to develop the model. Unlike for logistic regression models, external validation of Cox models is sparsely treated in the literature. Successful validation of a model means achieving satisfactory discrimination and calibration (prediction accuracy) in the validation sample. Validating Cox models is not straightforward because event probabilities are estimated relative to an unspecified baseline function. Methods We describe statistical approaches to external validation of a published Cox model according to the level of published information, specifically (1) the prognostic index only, (2) the prognostic index together with Kaplan-Meier curves for risk groups, and (3) the first two plus the baseline survival curve (the estimated survival function at the mean prognostic index across the sample). The most challenging task, requiring level 3 information, is assessing calibration, for which we suggest a method of approximating the baseline survival function. Results We apply the methods to two comparable datasets in primary breast cancer, treating one as derivation and the other as validation sample. Results are presented for discrimination and calibration. We demonstrate plots of survival probabilities that can assist model evaluation. Conclusions Our validation methods are applicable to a wide range of prognostic studies and provide researchers with a toolkit for external validation of a published Cox model. PMID:23496923

  5. Assessment of published models and prognostic variables in epithelial ovarian cancer at Mayo Clinic

    PubMed Central

    Hendrickson, Andrea Wahner; Hawthorne, Kieran M.; Goode, Ellen L.; Kalli, Kimberly R.; Goergen, Krista M.; Bakkum-Gamez, Jamie N.; Cliby, William A.; Keeney, Gary L.; Visscher, Dan W.; Tarabishy, Yaman; Oberg, Ann L.; Hartmann, Lynn C.; Maurer, Matthew J.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is an aggressive disease in which first line therapy consists of a surgical staging/debulking procedure and platinum based chemotherapy. There is significant interest in clinically applicable, easy to use prognostic tools to estimate risk of recurrence and overall survival. In this study we used a large prospectively collected cohort of women with EOC to validate currently published models and assess prognostic variables. Methods Women with invasive ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer diagnosed between 2000-2011 and prospectively enrolled into the Mayo Clinic Ovarian Cancer registry were identified. Demographics and known prognostic markers as well as epidemiologic exposure variables were abstracted from the medical record and collected via questionnaire. Six previously published models of overall and recurrence-free survival were assessed for external validity. In addition, predictors of outcome were assessed in our dataset. Results Previously published models validated with a range of c-statistics (0.587-0.827), though application of models containing variables not part of routine practice were somewhat limited by missing data; utilization of all applicable models and comparison of results is suggested. Examination of prognostic variables identified only the presence of ascites and ASA score to be independent predictors of prognosis in our dataset, albeit with marginal gain in prognostic information, after accounting for stage and debulking. Conclusions Existing prognostic models for newly diagnosed EOC showed acceptable calibration in our cohort for clinical application. However, modeling of prospective variables in our dataset reiterates that stage and debulking remain the most important predictors of prognosis in this setting. PMID:25620544

  6. False gold: Safely navigating open access publishing to avoid predatory publishers and journals.

    PubMed

    McCann, Terence V; Polacsek, Meg

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to review and discuss predatory open access publishing in the context of nursing and midwifery and develop a set of guidelines that serve as a framework to help clinicians, educators and researchers avoid predatory publishers. Open access publishing is increasingly common across all academic disciplines. However, this publishing model is vulnerable to exploitation by predatory publishers, posing a threat to nursing and midwifery scholarship and practice. Guidelines are needed to help researchers recognize predatory journals and publishers and understand the negative consequences of publishing in them. Discussion paper. A literature search of BioMed Central, CINAHL, MEDLINE with Full Text and PubMed for terms related to predatory publishing, published in the period 2007-2017. Lack of awareness of the risks and pressure to publish in international journals, may result in nursing and midwifery researchers publishing their work in dubious open access journals. Caution should be taken prior to writing and submitting a paper, to avoid predatory publishers. The advantage of open access publishing is that it provides readers with access to peer-reviewed research as soon as it is published online. However, predatory publishers use deceptive methods to exploit open access publishing for their own profit. Clear guidelines are needed to help researchers navigate safely open access publishing. A deeper understanding of the risks of predatory publishing is needed. Clear guidelines should be followed by nursing and midwifery researchers seeking to publish their work in open access journals. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Invasive Species Science Update (No. 5)

    Treesearch

    Dean Pearson; Yvette Ortega

    2011-01-01

    Welcome to the fifth issue of the Rocky Mountain Research Station's (RMRS) Invasive Species Science Update. The newsletter is produced by the RMRS Invasive Species Working Group (ISWG), which is a core group of scientists who volunteer to coordinate outreach of RMRS invasive species science to managers and the public. After publishing the past four newsletters, we...

  8. Oncology biomarkers: discovery, validation, and clinical use.

    PubMed

    Heckman-Stoddard, Brandy M

    2012-05-01

    To discuss the discovery, validation, and clinical use of multiple types of biomarkers. Medical literature and published guidelines. Formal validation of biomarkers should include both retrospective analyses of well-characterized samples as well as a prospective clinical trial in which the biomarker is tested for its ability to predict the presence of disease or the efficacy of a cancer therapy. Biomarker development is complicated, with very few biomarker discoveries leading to clinically useful tests. Nurses should understand how a biomarker was developed, including the sensitivity and specificity before applying new biomarkers in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Publishers, Publishing and the Internet: How Journal Publishing Will Survive and Prosper in the Electronic Age.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cox, John E.

    1997-01-01

    The Internet will change how publishers function. Publishers will need to acquire new skills in developing multimedia; become custodians of intellectual property rather than producers of printed artifacts; know copyright and contract law, especially international aspects; and work more closely with universities to deliver electronic information…

  10. Development and validation of HPTLC fingerprints of three species of Alpinia with biomarker Galangin.

    PubMed

    Upadhye, Anuradha S; Rajopadhye, Anagha; Dias, Lourelle

    2018-01-16

    Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. commonly called as Rasna, Greater galangal or Kulinjan is a medicinally important rhizome used in Indian traditional system of medicine to cure a number of ailments. A. galanga is the main source of a galangin -a medicinally important flavanol which has a number of pharmacological properties viz. anti-mutagenic, and anti-inflammatory. Due to the high demand for the rhizome of A. galanga traders are now substituting it with rhizomes of A. calcarata and A. officinarum. The present study aims to develop high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) fingerprinting of A. galanga with its adulterants or substitutes and to quantify bioactive galangin present thereof. Methanolic extracts were obtained from rhizomes of the three species of Alpinia used for HPTLC analysis using silica gel 60 F254 plates and hexane: ethyl acetate: acetic acid (6.2: 2.8: 1.0 v/v/v); the densitometric analysis was performed at 272 nm. By comparison of Rf values and of the spectra of the bands with those of the standard galangin was identified in all three samples. HPTLC quantitative analysis of the methanolic extracts showed the decline trend in the quantity of the galangin in the three species of Alpinia as A. galanga (7.67 ± 0.36 mg/g) > A. officinarum (5.77 ± 0.71 mg/g) > A. calcarata (4.31 ± 0.44 mg/g). The HPTLC method was validated using International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The HPTLC method showed good linearity, recovery and high precision of biomarker. Rapid and reproducible method is useful for routine analysis of galangin and quality control of Alpinia galangal along with its adulterants or substitutes.

  11. Multilaboratory Validation of First Action Method 2016.04 for Determination of Four Arsenic Species in Fruit Juice by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Kubachka, Kevin; Heitkemper, Douglas T; Conklin, Sean

    2017-07-01

    Before being designated AOAC First Action Official MethodSM 2016.04, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's method, EAM 4.10 High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometric Determination of Four Arsenic Species in Fruit Juice, underwent both a single-laboratory validation and a multilaboratory validation (MLV) study. Three federal and five state regulatory laboratories participated in the MLV study, which is the primary focus of this manuscript. The method was validated for inorganic arsenic (iAs) measured as the sum of the two iAs species arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)], dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) by analyses of 13 juice samples, including three apple juice, three apple juice concentrate, four grape juice, and three pear juice samples. In addition, two water Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) were analyzed. The method LODs and LOQs obtained among the eight laboratories were approximately 0.3 and 2 ng/g, respectively, for each of the analytes and were adequate for the intended purpose of the method. Each laboratory analyzed method blanks, fortified method blanks, reference materials, triplicate portions of each juice sample, and duplicate fortified juice samples (one for each matrix type) at three fortification levels. In general, repeatability and reproducibility of the method was ≤15% RSD for each species present at a concentration >LOQ. The average recovery of fortified analytes for all laboratories ranged from 98 to 104% iAs, DMA, and MMA for all four juice sample matrixes. The average iAs results for SRMs 1640a and 1643e agreed within the range of 96-98% of certified values for total arsenic.

  12. Why Publish?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaye, Sharon

    2008-01-01

    In humanities, there does not seem to be any good reason to privilege the academic journal over other venues. If the goal of humanities publishing is to spread new ideas, then it seems that creating a popular Internet blog would be the better choice. However, the goal of humanities publishing is not just to spread new ideas, but to spread "good"…

  13. Confronting species distribution model predictions with species functional traits.

    PubMed

    Wittmann, Marion E; Barnes, Matthew A; Jerde, Christopher L; Jones, Lisa A; Lodge, David M

    2016-02-01

    Species distribution models are valuable tools in studies of biogeography, ecology, and climate change and have been used to inform conservation and ecosystem management. However, species distribution models typically incorporate only climatic variables and species presence data. Model development or validation rarely considers functional components of species traits or other types of biological data. We implemented a species distribution model (Maxent) to predict global climate habitat suitability for Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). We then tested the relationship between the degree of climate habitat suitability predicted by Maxent and the individual growth rates of both wild (N = 17) and stocked (N = 51) Grass Carp populations using correlation analysis. The Grass Carp Maxent model accurately reflected the global occurrence data (AUC = 0.904). Observations of Grass Carp growth rate covered six continents and ranged from 0.19 to 20.1 g day(-1). Species distribution model predictions were correlated (r = 0.5, 95% CI (0.03, 0.79)) with observed growth rates for wild Grass Carp populations but were not correlated (r = -0.26, 95% CI (-0.5, 0.012)) with stocked populations. Further, a review of the literature indicates that the few studies for other species that have previously assessed the relationship between the degree of predicted climate habitat suitability and species functional traits have also discovered significant relationships. Thus, species distribution models may provide inferences beyond just where a species may occur, providing a useful tool to understand the linkage between species distributions and underlying biological mechanisms.

  14. Redescription of four species of Mehdiella from Testudinidae, with a key to the species and discussion on the relationships among the species of this genus.

    PubMed

    Bouamer, S; Morand, S; Kara, M

    2003-12-01

    Four species of the genus Mehdiella Seurat, 1918 are redescribed: M. cristata Petter, 1966 and M. stylosa dollfusi Petter, 1966, parasite of Pyxix arachnoides Bell, 1827 from Madagascar, M. s. stylosa (Thapar, 1925) and M. uncinata (Drasche, 1884), parasite of Testudo graeca Linneaus, 1758, Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789 and Testudo horsfieldii (Gray, 1844) from Palaearctic region. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed new informations on the morphology of these species. On the basis of this morphological study, the sub-species Mehdiella stylosa dollfusi and M. s. stylosa are raised to level of species. The position of Mehdiella cristata among the species of the genus Mehdiella and the relationships among the species of the genus Mehdiella are discussed. A key to the eight valid species Mehdiella is given.

  15. EVLncRNAs: a manually curated database for long non-coding RNAs validated by low-throughput experiments.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Bailing; Zhao, Huiying; Yu, Jiafeng; Guo, Chengang; Dou, Xianghua; Song, Feng; Hu, Guodong; Cao, Zanxia; Qu, Yuanxu; Yang, Yuedong; Zhou, Yaoqi; Wang, Jihua

    2018-01-04

    Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important functional roles in various biological processes. Early databases were utilized to deposit all lncRNA candidates produced by high-throughput experimental and/or computational techniques to facilitate classification, assessment and validation. As more lncRNAs are validated by low-throughput experiments, several databases were established for experimentally validated lncRNAs. However, these databases are small in scale (with a few hundreds of lncRNAs only) and specific in their focuses (plants, diseases or interactions). Thus, it is highly desirable to have a comprehensive dataset for experimentally validated lncRNAs as a central repository for all of their structures, functions and phenotypes. Here, we established EVLncRNAs by curating lncRNAs validated by low-throughput experiments (up to 1 May 2016) and integrating specific databases (lncRNAdb, LncRANDisease, Lnc2Cancer and PLNIncRBase) with additional functional and disease-specific information not covered previously. The current version of EVLncRNAs contains 1543 lncRNAs from 77 species that is 2.9 times larger than the current largest database for experimentally validated lncRNAs. Seventy-four percent lncRNA entries are partially or completely new, comparing to all existing experimentally validated databases. The established database allows users to browse, search and download as well as to submit experimentally validated lncRNAs. The database is available at http://biophy.dzu.edu.cn/EVLncRNAs. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  16. Development and validation of real-time PCR tests for the identification of four Spodoptera species: Spodoptera eridania, Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera littoralis, and Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

    PubMed

    Van de Vossenberg, B T L H; Van der Straten, M J

    2014-08-01

    The genus Spodoptera comprises 31 species, 4 of which are listed as quarantine pests for the European Union: Spodoptera eridania (Cramer), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval), and Spodoptera litura (F.). In international trade, the earlier life stages (eggs and larvae) are being intercepted at point of inspection most frequently, challenging the possibilities of morphological identification. To realize a rapid and reliable identification for all stages, we developed and validated four simplex real-time polymerase chain reaction identification tests based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene using dual-labeled hydrolysis probes. Method validation on dilutions of extracted DNA of the target organisms showed that low levels of template (up to 0.2-100 pg) can reliably be identified. No cross-reactivity was observed with 14 nontarget Spodoptera and 5 non-Spodoptera species in the specific Spodoptera tests. The tests showed to be repeatable, reproducible (both 100%), and robust. The new Spodoptera tests have proven to be suitable tools for routine identification of all life stages of S. eridania, S. frugiperda, S. littoralis, and S. litura.

  17. MotiveValidator: interactive web-based validation of ligand and residue structure in biomolecular complexes.

    PubMed

    Vařeková, Radka Svobodová; Jaiswal, Deepti; Sehnal, David; Ionescu, Crina-Maria; Geidl, Stanislav; Pravda, Lukáš; Horský, Vladimír; Wimmerová, Michaela; Koča, Jaroslav

    2014-07-01

    Structure validation has become a major issue in the structural biology community, and an essential step is checking the ligand structure. This paper introduces MotiveValidator, a web-based application for the validation of ligands and residues in PDB or PDBx/mmCIF format files provided by the user. Specifically, MotiveValidator is able to evaluate in a straightforward manner whether the ligand or residue being studied has a correct annotation (3-letter code), i.e. if it has the same topology and stereochemistry as the model ligand or residue with this annotation. If not, MotiveValidator explicitly describes the differences. MotiveValidator offers a user-friendly, interactive and platform-independent environment for validating structures obtained by any type of experiment. The results of the validation are presented in both tabular and graphical form, facilitating their interpretation. MotiveValidator can process thousands of ligands or residues in a single validation run that takes no more than a few minutes. MotiveValidator can be used for testing single structures, or the analysis of large sets of ligands or fragments prepared for binding site analysis, docking or virtual screening. MotiveValidator is freely available via the Internet at http://ncbr.muni.cz/MotiveValidator. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Why publishing everything is more effective than selective publishing of statistically significant results.

    PubMed

    van Assen, Marcel A L M; van Aert, Robbie C M; Nuijten, Michèle B; Wicherts, Jelte M

    2014-01-01

    De Winter and Happee examined whether science based on selective publishing of significant results may be effective in accurate estimation of population effects, and whether this is even more effective than a science in which all results are published (i.e., a science without publication bias). Based on their simulation study they concluded that "selective publishing yields a more accurate meta-analytic estimation of the true effect than publishing everything, (and that) publishing nonreplicable results while placing null results in the file drawer can be beneficial for the scientific collective" (p.4). Using their scenario with a small to medium population effect size, we show that publishing everything is more effective for the scientific collective than selective publishing of significant results. Additionally, we examined a scenario with a null effect, which provides a more dramatic illustration of the superiority of publishing everything over selective publishing. Publishing everything is more effective than only reporting significant outcomes.

  19. Why Publishing Everything Is More Effective than Selective Publishing of Statistically Significant Results

    PubMed Central

    van Assen, Marcel A. L. M.; van Aert, Robbie C. M.; Nuijten, Michèle B.; Wicherts, Jelte M.

    2014-01-01

    Background De Winter and Happee [1] examined whether science based on selective publishing of significant results may be effective in accurate estimation of population effects, and whether this is even more effective than a science in which all results are published (i.e., a science without publication bias). Based on their simulation study they concluded that “selective publishing yields a more accurate meta-analytic estimation of the true effect than publishing everything, (and that) publishing nonreplicable results while placing null results in the file drawer can be beneficial for the scientific collective” (p.4). Methods and Findings Using their scenario with a small to medium population effect size, we show that publishing everything is more effective for the scientific collective than selective publishing of significant results. Additionally, we examined a scenario with a null effect, which provides a more dramatic illustration of the superiority of publishing everything over selective publishing. Conclusion Publishing everything is more effective than only reporting significant outcomes. PMID:24465448

  20. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites and assay validation: Stress response evaluation in captive brown howler monkeys (Alouatta clamitans).

    PubMed

    Eleonora Madeira Buti, Thais; Kugelmeier, Tatiana; Sobral, Gisela; Viau Furtado, Priscila; do Valle Dutra de Andrade Neves, Dafne; Alvarenga de Oliveira, Claudio

    2018-04-25

    The advent of non-invasive methods provides a powerful alternative to stress studies as the use of stressful handling techniques is no longer needed. However, many factors influence hormone metabolism such as sex, diet, and metabolic rate. Thus, validation should be species- and matrix-specific. To assess stress response in brown howler monkeys Alouatta clamitans, we adopted an ACTH challenge test and parallelism to provide physiological and laboratorial validation. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure fecal levels of corticosterone. All challenged animals presented a peak in fecal glucocorticoids levels the day after the treatment, while control animals did not. There were no significant sex differences, but females with infants had higher levels of corticosterone. Corticosterone levels showed parallelism to the standard curve of the diagnostics kit. Collectively, the data suggest that the method was validated and is useful for monitoring stress, thereby helping in conservation programs both in captivity and in the wild. Transit time information may be coupled with travel distance in seed dispersal studies. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Publishing and Revising Content

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Editors and Webmasters can publish content without going through a workflow. Publishing times and dates can be set, and multiple pages can be published in bulk. Making an edit to published content created a revision.

  2. Taxonomic revision of the Graphipterus serrator (Forskål) group (Coleoptera, Carabidae): an increase from five to 15 valid species

    PubMed Central

    Renan, Ittai; Assmann, Thorsten; Freidberg, Amnon

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The south-west Palaearctic Graphipterus serrator group is revised. The systematic concept of the G. serrator group has undergone many changes during the last two centuries, and several different classifications have been published in recent decades. Here, the numerical taxonomy approach is used with the morphological characterization similarity level of the sympatric taxa in order to delimit allopatrically occurring taxa at the species and subspecies level. A key to the species and distribution maps are provided along with analyses of the conservation status and habitat preferences of the taxa. The Graphipterus serrator group currently comprises 16 taxa. Five new species are described: Graphipterus magnus Renan & Assmann, sp. n., Graphipterus mauretensis Renan & Assmann, sp. n., Graphipterus piniamitaii Renan & Freidberg, sp. n., Graphipterus sharonae Renan & Assmann, sp. n., and Graphipterus stagonopsis Renan & Assmann, sp. n. In addition, five taxa are revalidated to full species status: Graphipterus heydeni Kraatz, 1890, stat. rest. (lectotype designated), Graphipterus multiguttatus (Olivier, 1790), stat. rest. (lectotype designated), Graphipterus peletieri Laporte de Castelnau, 1840, stat. rest. (the frequently used name lepeletieri is an error), Graphipterus rotundatus Klug, 1832, stat. rest. (lectotype designated), and Graphipterus valdanii Guérin-Méneville, 1859 stat. rest., and a full species status is proposed for Graphipterus reymondi Antoine, 1953, stat. n. One new synonymy is proposed: Graphipterus kindermanni Chaudoir, 1871, syn. n. of Carabus multiguttatus Olivier, 1790. Lectotype designations were made for Graphipterus heydeni, Graphipterus minutus Dejean, 1822, Graphipterus multiguttatus, and Graphipterus rotundatus. Neotype designations were made for Graphipterus reichei Guérin-Méneville, 1859, Graphipterus intermedius Guérin-Méneville, 1859, and Graphipterus valdanii Guérin-Méneville, 1859. PMID:29731681

  3. Development and validation of a LC-MS/MS assay for quantitation of plasma citrulline for application to animal models of the acute radiation syndrome across multiple species.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jace W; Tudor, Gregory; Bennett, Alexander; Farese, Ann M; Moroni, Maria; Booth, Catherine; MacVittie, Thomas J; Kane, Maureen A

    2014-07-01

    The potential risk of a radiological catastrophe highlights the need for identifying and validating potential biomarkers that accurately predict radiation-induced organ damage. A key target organ that is acutely sensitive to the effects of irradiation is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, referred to as the GI acute radiation syndrome (GI-ARS). Recently, citrulline has been identified as a potential circulating biomarker for radiation-induced GI damage. Prior to biologically validating citrulline as a biomarker for radiation-induced GI injury, there is the important task of developing and validating a quantitation assay for citrulline detection within the radiation animal models used for biomarker validation. Herein, we describe the analytical development and validation of citrulline detection using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay that incorporates stable-label isotope internal standards. Analytical validation for specificity, linearity, lower limit of quantitation, accuracy, intra- and interday precision, extraction recovery, matrix effects, and stability was performed under sample collection and storage conditions according to the Guidance for Industry, Bioanalytical Methods Validation issued by the US Food and Drug Administration. In addition, the method was biologically validated using plasma from well-characterized mouse, minipig, and nonhuman primate GI-ARS models. The results demonstrated that circulating citrulline can be confidently quantified from plasma. Additionally, circulating citrulline displayed a time-dependent response for radiological doses covering GI-ARS across multiple species.

  4. Publishing bioethics and bioethics--reflections on academic publishing by a journal editor.

    PubMed

    Schüklenk, Udo

    2011-02-01

    This article by one of the Editors of Bioethics, published in the 25th anniversary issue of the journal, describes some of the revolutionary changes academic publishing has undergone during the last decades. Many humanities journals went from typically small print-runs, counting by the hundreds, to on-line availability in thousands of university libraries worldwide. Article up-take by our subscribers can be measured efficiently. The implications of this and other changes to academic publishing are discussed. Important ethical challenges need to be addressed in areas such as the enforcement of plagiarism-related policies, the so-called 'impact factor' and its impact on academic integrity, and the question of whether on-line only publishing can currently guarantee the integrity of academic publishing histories. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. A web-based rapid assessment tool for production publishing solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Tong

    2010-02-01

    Solution assessment is a critical first-step in understanding and measuring the business process efficiency enabled by an integrated solution package. However, assessing the effectiveness of any solution is usually a very expensive and timeconsuming task which involves lots of domain knowledge, collecting and understanding the specific customer operational context, defining validation scenarios and estimating the expected performance and operational cost. This paper presents an intelligent web-based tool that can rapidly assess any given solution package for production publishing workflows via a simulation engine and create a report for various estimated performance metrics (e.g. throughput, turnaround time, resource utilization) and operational cost. By integrating the digital publishing workflow ontology and an activity based costing model with a Petri-net based workflow simulation engine, this web-based tool allows users to quickly evaluate any potential digital publishing solutions side-by-side within their desired operational contexts, and provides a low-cost and rapid assessment for organizations before committing any purchase. This tool also benefits the solution providers to shorten the sales cycles, establishing a trustworthy customer relationship and supplement the professional assessment services with a proven quantitative simulation and estimation technology.

  6. What Desktop Publishing Can Teach Professional Writing Students about Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dobberstein, Michael

    1992-01-01

    Points out that desktop publishing is a metatechnology that allows professional writing students access to the production phase of publishing, giving students hands-on practice in preparing text for printing and in learning how that preparation affects the visual meaning of documents. (SR)

  7. Mechanical Properties of 23 Species of Eastern Hardwoods.

    Treesearch

    B. A. Bendtsen; R. L. Ethington

    1975-01-01

    Important mechanical properties of clear, straight-grained wood of 23 species are tabulated, along with coefficients of variation. These property estimates can be used to match up species with kind of material needed for a specific job, or to search for substitutes for a presently used species. Some of the species appear, with allowable properties, in two published...

  8. Risk-based Methodology for Validation of Pharmaceutical Batch Processes.

    PubMed

    Wiles, Frederick

    2013-01-01

    In January 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published new process validation guidance for pharmaceutical processes. The new guidance debunks the long-held industry notion that three consecutive validation batches or runs are all that are required to demonstrate that a process is operating in a validated state. Instead, the new guidance now emphasizes that the level of monitoring and testing performed during process performance qualification (PPQ) studies must be sufficient to demonstrate statistical confidence both within and between batches. In some cases, three qualification runs may not be enough. Nearly two years after the guidance was first published, little has been written defining a statistical methodology for determining the number of samples and qualification runs required to satisfy Stage 2 requirements of the new guidance. This article proposes using a combination of risk assessment, control charting, and capability statistics to define the monitoring and testing scheme required to show that a pharmaceutical batch process is operating in a validated state. In this methodology, an assessment of process risk is performed through application of a process failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (PFMECA). The output of PFMECA is used to select appropriate levels of statistical confidence and coverage which, in turn, are used in capability calculations to determine when significant Stage 2 (PPQ) milestones have been met. The achievement of Stage 2 milestones signals the release of batches for commercial distribution and the reduction of monitoring and testing to commercial production levels. Individuals, moving range, and range/sigma charts are used in conjunction with capability statistics to demonstrate that the commercial process is operating in a state of statistical control. The new process validation guidance published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January of 2011 indicates that the number of process validation batches

  9. Cryptic or pseudocryptic: can morphological methods inform copepod taxonomy? An analysis of publications and a case study of the Eurytemora affinis species complex

    PubMed Central

    Lajus, Dmitry; Sukhikh, Natalia; Alekseev, Victor

    2015-01-01

    Interest in cryptic species has increased significantly with current progress in genetic methods. The large number of cryptic species suggests that the resolution of traditional morphological techniques may be insufficient for taxonomical research. However, some species now considered to be cryptic may, in fact, be designated pseudocryptic after close morphological examination. Thus the “cryptic or pseudocryptic” dilemma speaks to the resolution of morphological analysis and its utility for identifying species. We address this dilemma first by systematically reviewing data published from 1980 to 2013 on cryptic species of Copepoda and then by performing an in-depth morphological study of the former Eurytemora affinis complex of cryptic species. Analyzing the published data showed that, in 5 of 24 revisions eligible for systematic review, cryptic species assignment was based solely on the genetic variation of forms without detailed morphological analysis to confirm the assignment. Therefore, some newly described cryptic species might be designated pseudocryptic under more detailed morphological analysis as happened with Eurytemora affinis complex. Recent genetic analyses of the complex found high levels of heterogeneity without morphological differences; it is argued to be cryptic. However, next detailed morphological analyses allowed to describe a number of valid species. Our study, using deep statistical analyses usually not applied for new species describing, of this species complex confirmed considerable differences between former cryptic species. In particular, fluctuating asymmetry (FA), the random variation of left and right structures, was significantly different between forms and provided independent information about their status. Our work showed that multivariate statistical approaches, such as principal component analysis, can be powerful techniques for the morphological discrimination of cryptic taxons. Despite increasing cryptic species

  10. Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences of Four Meliaceae Species and Comparative Analyses

    PubMed Central

    Mader, Malte; Pakull, Birte; Blanc-Jolivet, Céline; Paulini-Drewes, Maike; Bouda, Zoéwindé Henri-Noël; Degen, Bernd; Small, Ian

    2018-01-01

    The Meliaceae family mainly consists of trees and shrubs with a pantropical distribution. In this study, the complete chloroplast genomes of four Meliaceae species were sequenced and compared with each other and with the previously published Azadirachta indica plastome. The five plastomes are circular and exhibit a quadripartite structure with high conservation of gene content and order. They include 130 genes encoding 85 proteins, 37 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs. Inverted repeat expansion resulted in a duplication of rps19 in the five Meliaceae species, which is consistent with that in many other Sapindales, but different from many other rosids. Compared to Azadirachta indica, the four newly sequenced Meliaceae individuals share several large deletions, which mainly contribute to the decreased genome sizes. A whole-plastome phylogeny supports previous findings that the four species form a monophyletic sister clade to Azadirachta indica within the Meliaceae. SNPs and indels identified in all complete Meliaceae plastomes might be suitable targets for the future development of genetic markers at different taxonomic levels. The extended analysis of SNPs in the matK gene led to the identification of four potential Meliaceae-specific SNPs as a basis for future validation and marker development. PMID:29494509

  11. Species diversity and phylogeographical affinities of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

    PubMed

    Jeffery, Nicholas W; Elías-Gutiérrez, Manuel; Adamowicz, Sarah J

    2011-01-01

    The region of Churchill, Manitoba, contains a wide variety of habitats representative of both the boreal forest and arctic tundra and has been used as a model site for biodiversity studies for nearly seven decades within Canada. Much previous work has been done in Churchill to study the Daphnia pulex species complex in particular, but no study has completed a wide-scale survey on the crustacean species that inhabit Churchill's aquatic ecosystems using molecular markers. We have employed DNA barcoding to study the diversity of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) in a wide variety of freshwater habitats and to determine the likely origins of the Churchill fauna following the last glaciation. The standard animal barcode marker (COI) was sequenced for 327 specimens, and a 3% divergence threshold was used to delineate potential species. We found 42 provisional and valid branchiopod species from this survey alone, including several cryptic lineages, in comparison with the 25 previously recorded from previous ecological works. Using published sequence data, we explored the phylogeographic affinities of Churchill's branchiopods, finding that the Churchill fauna apparently originated from all directions from multiple glacial refugia (including southern, Beringian, and high arctic regions). Overall, these microcrustaceans are very diverse in Churchill and contain multiple species complexes. The present study introduces among the first sequences for some understudied genera, for which further work is required to delineate species boundaries and develop a more complete understanding of branchiopod diversity over a larger spatial scale.

  12. Species Diversity and Phylogeographical Affinities of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

    PubMed Central

    Jeffery, Nicholas W.; Elías-Gutiérrez, Manuel; Adamowicz, Sarah J.

    2011-01-01

    The region of Churchill, Manitoba, contains a wide variety of habitats representative of both the boreal forest and arctic tundra and has been used as a model site for biodiversity studies for nearly seven decades within Canada. Much previous work has been done in Churchill to study the Daphnia pulex species complex in particular, but no study has completed a wide-scale survey on the crustacean species that inhabit Churchill's aquatic ecosystems using molecular markers. We have employed DNA barcoding to study the diversity of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) in a wide variety of freshwater habitats and to determine the likely origins of the Churchill fauna following the last glaciation. The standard animal barcode marker (COI) was sequenced for 327 specimens, and a 3% divergence threshold was used to delineate potential species. We found 42 provisional and valid branchiopod species from this survey alone, including several cryptic lineages, in comparison with the 25 previously recorded from previous ecological works. Using published sequence data, we explored the phylogeographic affinities of Churchill's branchiopods, finding that the Churchill fauna apparently originated from all directions from multiple glacial refugia (including southern, Beringian, and high arctic regions). Overall, these microcrustaceans are very diverse in Churchill and contain multiple species complexes. The present study introduces among the first sequences for some understudied genera, for which further work is required to delineate species boundaries and develop a more complete understanding of branchiopod diversity over a larger spatial scale. PMID:21610864

  13. Prevalence of zoonotic bacteria in wild and farmed aquatic species and seafood: a scoping study, systematic review, and meta-analysis of published research.

    PubMed

    Tuševljak, Nataša; Rajić, Andrijana; Waddell, Lisa; Dutil, Lucie; Cernicchiaro, Natalia; Greig, Judy; Wilhelm, Barbara J; Wilkins, Wendy; Totton, Sarah; Uhland, F Carl; Avery, Brent; McEwen, Scott A

    2012-06-01

    Increased reliance on seafood has brought to light concerns regarding food safety, but the information to inform risk assessment or surveillance needs is lacking. A scoping study (ScS) was conducted to characterize published research investigating selected zoonotic bacteria and public health topics in various wild and farmed aquatic species and seafood. This was followed by a systematic review (SR) on selected bacteria (Aeromonas spp., generic Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Vibrio spp.) and aquatic species (clams, mussels, oysters, salmon, and shrimp [including prawn]); a meta-analysis (MA) was conducted only at the retail level due to considerable variability among various pathogen/seafood combinations. The ScS revealed the most frequently investigated themes were farm-level prevalence and intervention research for Vibrio spp. and Aeromonas spp. Antimicrobial use (AMU) and the association between AMU and antimicrobial resistance were rarely investigated. The SR indicated a consistent lack of reporting regarding study methodology and results, precluding the use of many studies in and full benefits of MA. MA of Aeromonas, E. coli, and Salmonella prevalence in retail salmon resulted in pooled estimates of 13% (6-27%), 2% (0.1-11%), and 1% (0-5%), respectively. When MA of pathogen/seafood combination resulted in statistically significant heterogeneity (p<0.1), median/range were reported at the region level. The results from our ScS, SR, and MA could be used for better design of future bacteriological surveys of seafood and as inputs for risk assessments or surveillance initiatives in this field.

  14. The Pressure to Publish More and the Scope of Predatory Publishing Activities

    PubMed Central

    Nurmashev, Bekaidar

    2016-01-01

    This article overviews unethical publishing practices in connection with the pressure to publish more. Both open-access and subscription publishing models can be abused by ‘predatory’ authors, editors, and publishing outlets. Relevant examples of ‘prolific’ scholars are viewed through the prism of the violation of ethical authorship in established journals and indiscriminately boosting publication records elsewhere. The instances of ethical transgressions by brokering editorial agencies and agents, operating predominantly in non-Anglophone countries, are presented to raise awareness of predatory activities. The scheme of predatory publishing activities is presented, and several measures are proposed to tackle the issue of predatory publishing. The awareness campaigns by professional societies, consultations with information facilitators, implementation of the criteria of best target journals, and crediting of scholars with use of integrative citation metrics, such as the h-index, are believed to make a difference. PMID:27822923

  15. Morphological analysis of the Chinese Cipangopaludina species (Gastropoda; Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae).

    PubMed

    Lu, Hong-Fa; Du, Li-Na; Li, Zhi-Qiang; Chen, Xiao-Yong; Yang, Jun-Xing

    2014-11-18

    Viviparidae are widely distributed around the globe, but there are considerable gaps in the taxonomic record. To date, 18 species of the viviparid genus Cipangopaludina have been recorded in China, but there is substantial disagreement on the validity of this taxonomy. In this study, we described the shell and internal traits of these species to better discuss the validity of related species. We found that C. ampulliformis is synonym of C. lecythis, and C. wingatei is synonym of C. chinensis,while C. ampullacea and C. fluminalis are subspecies of C. lecythis and C. chinensis, respectively. C. dianchiensis should be paled in the genus Margarya, while C. menglaensis and C. yunnanensisbelong to genus Mekongia. Totally, this leaves 11 species and 2 subspecies recorded in China. Based on whether these specimens' spiral whorl depth was longer than aperture depth, these species or subspecies can be further divided into two groups, viz. chinensis group and cathayensis group, which can be determined from one another via the ratio of spiral depth and aperture depth, vas deferens and number of secondary branches of vas deferens. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis indicated that body whorl depth, shell width, aperture width and aperture length were main variables during species of Cipangopaludina. A key to all valid Chinese Cipangopaludina specieswere given.

  16. Morphological analysis of the Chinese Cipangopaludina species (Gastropoda; Caenogastropoda: Viviparidae)

    PubMed Central

    LU, Hong-Fa; DU, Li-Na; LI, Zhi-Qiang; CHEN, Xiao-Yong; YANG, Jun-Xing

    2014-01-01

    Viviparidae are widely distributed around the globe, but there are considerable gaps in the taxonomic record. To date, 18 species of the viviparid genus Cipangopaludina have been recorded in China, but there is substantial disagreement on the validity of this taxonomy. In this study, we described the shell and internal traits of these species to better discuss the validity of related species. We found that C. ampulliformis is synonym of C. lecythis, and C. wingatei is synonym of C. chinensis, while C. ampullacea and C. fluminalis are subspecies of C. lecythis and C. chinensis, respectively. C. dianchiensis should be paled in the genus Margarya, while C. menglaensis and C. yunnanensis belong to genus Mekongia. Totally, this leaves 11 species and 2 subspecies recorded in China. Based on whether these specimens’ spiral whorl depth was longer than aperture depth, these species or subspecies can be further divided into two groups, viz. chinensis group and cathayensis group, which can be determined from one another via the ratio of spiral depth and aperture depth, vas deferens and number of secondary branches of vas deferens. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis indicated that body whorl depth, shell width, aperture width and aperture length were main variables during species of Cipangopaludina. A key to all valid Chinese Cipangopaludina species were given. PMID:25465086

  17. Examining the Validity of Autism Spectrum Disorder Subtypes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witwer, Andrea N.; Lecavalier, Luc

    2008-01-01

    The classification of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is a topic of debate among clinicians and researchers with many questioning the validity of the distinction among subtypes. This manuscript examines the validity of three ASD subtypes (Autism, Asperger's, and PDDNOS) by reviewing 22 studies published between 1994 and 2006. We reviewed studies…

  18. Multilocus sequence analysis of phytopathogenic species of the genus Streptomyces

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The identification and classification of species within the genus Streptomyces is difficult because there are presently 576 validly described species and this number increases every year. The value of the application of multilocus sequence analysis scheme to the systematics of Streptomyces species h...

  19. Publish or Perish: The Myth and Reality of Academic Publishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Icy

    2014-01-01

    While writing for scholarly publications is considered a crucial dimension of academic work, the "publish-or-perish" system in our field has increasingly caused anxiety and induced stress among not only young academics but also more established scholars. Using my own publishing experience as a point of departure, I challenge the…

  20. Validity and reliability of the NAB Naming Test.

    PubMed

    Sachs, Bonnie C; Rush, Beth K; Pedraza, Otto

    2016-05-01

    Confrontation naming is commonly assessed in neuropsychological practice, but few standardized measures of naming exist and those that do are susceptible to the effects of education and culture. The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) Naming Test is a 31-item measure used to assess confrontation naming. Despite adequate psychometric information provided by the test publisher, there has been limited independent validation of the test. In this study, we investigated the convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and alternate forms reliability of the NAB Naming Test in a sample of adults (Form 1: n = 247, Form 2: n = 151) clinically referred for neuropsychological evaluation. Results indicate adequate-to-good internal consistency and alternate forms reliability. We also found strong convergent validity as demonstrated by relationships with other neurocognitive measures. We found preliminary evidence that the NAB Naming Test demonstrates a more pronounced ceiling effect than other commonly used measures of naming. To our knowledge, this represents the largest published independent validation study of the NAB Naming Test in a clinical sample. Our findings suggest that the NAB Naming Test demonstrates adequate validity and reliability and merits consideration in the test arsenal of clinical neuropsychologists.

  1. Development and validation of inexpensive, automated, dynamic flux chambers

    EPA Science Inventory

    We developed and validated an automated, inexpensive, and continuous multiple-species gas-flux monitoring system that can provide data for a variety of relevant atmospheric pollutants, including O3, CO2, and NOx. Validation consisted of conducting concurrent gas-phase dry deposit...

  2. Transcriptome discovery in non-model wild fish species for the development of quantitative transcript abundance assays.

    PubMed

    Hahn, Cassidy M; Iwanowicz, Luke R; Cornman, Robert S; Mazik, Patricia M; Blazer, Vicki S

    2016-12-01

    Environmental studies increasingly identify the presence of both contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and legacy contaminants in aquatic environments; however, the biological effects of these compounds on resident fishes remain largely unknown. High throughput methodologies were employed to establish partial transcriptomes for three wild-caught, non-model fish species; smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). Sequences from these transcriptome databases were utilized in the development of a custom nCounter CodeSet that allowed for direct multiplexed measurement of 50 transcript abundance endpoints in liver tissue. Sequence information was also utilized in the development of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) primers. Cross-species hybridization allowed the smallmouth bass nCounter CodeSet to be used for quantitative transcript abundance analysis of an additional non-model species, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). We validated the nCounter analysis data system with qPCR for a subset of genes and confirmed concordant results. Changes in transcript abundance biomarkers between sexes and seasons were evaluated to provide baseline data on transcript modulation for each species of interest. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. Multiplexed microsatellite markers for seven Metarhizium species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cross-species transferability of 41 previously published simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was assessed for 11 species of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium. A collection of 65 Metarhizium isolates including all 54 used in a recent phylogenetic revision of the genus were characterized. Betwe...

  4. Systematic Reviews Published in Emergency Medicine Journals Do Not Routinely Search Clinical Trials Registries: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

    PubMed

    Keil, Lukas G; Platts-Mills, Timothy F; Jones, Christopher W

    2015-10-01

    Publication bias compromises the validity of systematic reviews. This problem can be addressed in part through searching clinical trials registries to identify unpublished studies. This study aims to determine how often systematic reviews published in emergency medicine journals include clinical trials registry searches. We identified all systematic reviews published in the 6 highest-impact emergency medicine journals between January 1 and December 31, 2013. Systematic reviews that assessed the effects of an intervention were further examined to determine whether the authors described searching a clinical trials registry and whether this search identified relevant unpublished studies. Of 191 articles identified through PubMed search, 80 were confirmed to be systematic reviews. Our sample consisted of 41 systematic reviews that assessed a specific intervention. Eight of these 41 (20%) searched a clinical trials registry. For 4 of these 8 reviews, the registry search identified at least 1 relevant unpublished study. Systematic reviews published in emergency medicine journals do not routinely include searches of clinical trials registries. By helping authors identify unpublished trial data, the addition of registry searches may improve the validity of systematic reviews. Copyright © 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Getting It Published: The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Self-Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wahab, Shaista; Boyer, Janice

    Although many methods of publishing scholarly work are available to the author, self-publishing is sometimes the most appropriate avenue to provide the work to the intended audience particularly if the scope of the material is of interest to a limited number of scholars. Topics include: copyright issues; cataloging data; factors influencing the…

  6. Multiplex PCR method for use in real-time PCR for identification of fish fillets from grouper (Epinephelus and Mycteroperca species) and common substitute species.

    PubMed

    Trotta, Michele; Schönhuth, Susana; Pepe, Tiziana; Cortesi, M Luisa; Puyet, Antonio; Bautista, José M

    2005-03-23

    Mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences from morphological validated grouper (Epinephelus aeneus, E. caninus, E. costae, and E. marginatus; Mycteroperca fusca and M. rubra), Nile perch (Lates niloticus), and wreck fish (Polyprion americanus) were used to develop an analytical system for group diagnosis based on two alternative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) approaches. The first includes conventional multiplex PCR in which electrophoretic migration of different sizes of bands allowed identification of the fish species. The second approach, involving real-time PCR, produced a single amplicon from each species that showed different Tm values allowing the fish groups to be directly identified. Real-time PCR allows the quick differential diagnosis of the three groups of species and high-throughput screening of multiple samples. Neither PCR system cross-reacted with DNA samples from 41 common marketed fish species, thus conforming to standards for species validation. The use of these two PCR-based methods makes it now possible to discriminate grouper from substitute fish species.

  7. Selecting focal species as surrogates for imperiled species using relative sensitivities derived from occupancy analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Silvano, Amy; Guyer, Craig; Steury, Todd; Grand, James B.

    2017-01-01

    Most imperiled species are rare or elusive and difficult to detect, which makes gathering data to estimate their response to habitat restoration a challenge. We used a repeatable, systematic method for selecting focal species using relative sensitivities derived from occupancy analysis. Our objective was to select suites of focal species that would be useful as surrogates when predicting effects of restoration of habitat characteristics preferred by imperiled species. We developed 27 habitat profiles that represent general habitat relationships for 118 imperiled species. We identified 23 regularly encountered species that were sensitive to important aspects of those profiles. We validated our approach by examining the correlation between estimated probabilities of occupancy for species of concern and focal species selected using our method. Occupancy rates of focal species were more related to occupancy rates of imperiled species when they were sensitive to more of the parameters appearing in profiles of imperiled species. We suggest that this approach can be an effective means of predicting responses by imperiled species to proposed management actions. However, adequate monitoring will be required to determine the effectiveness of using focal species to guide management actions.

  8. Image Analysis in Plant Sciences: Publish Then Perish.

    PubMed

    Lobet, Guillaume

    2017-07-01

    Image analysis has become a powerful technique for most plant scientists. In recent years dozens of image analysis tools have been published in plant science journals. These tools cover the full spectrum of plant scales, from single cells to organs and canopies. However, the field of plant image analysis remains in its infancy. It still has to overcome important challenges, such as the lack of robust validation practices or the absence of long-term support. In this Opinion article, I: (i) present the current state of the field, based on data from the plant-image-analysis.org database; (ii) identify the challenges faced by its community; and (iii) propose workable ways of improvement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Publishing FAIR Data: An Exemplar Methodology Utilizing PHI-Base.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Iglesias, Alejandro; Rodríguez-González, Alejandro; Irvine, Alistair G; Sesma, Ane; Urban, Martin; Hammond-Kosack, Kim E; Wilkinson, Mark D

    2016-01-01

    Pathogen-Host interaction data is core to our understanding of disease processes and their molecular/genetic bases. Facile access to such core data is particularly important for the plant sciences, where individual genetic and phenotypic observations have the added complexity of being dispersed over a wide diversity of plant species vs. the relatively fewer host species of interest to biomedical researchers. Recently, an international initiative interested in scholarly data publishing proposed that all scientific data should be "FAIR"-Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. In this work, we describe the process of migrating a database of notable relevance to the plant sciences-the Pathogen-Host Interaction Database (PHI-base)-to a form that conforms to each of the FAIR Principles. We discuss the technical and architectural decisions, and the migration pathway, including observations of the difficulty and/or fidelity of each step. We examine how multiple FAIR principles can be addressed simultaneously through careful design decisions, including making data FAIR for both humans and machines with minimal duplication of effort. We note how FAIR data publishing involves more than data reformatting, requiring features beyond those exhibited by most life science Semantic Web or Linked Data resources. We explore the value-added by completing this FAIR data transformation, and then test the result through integrative questions that could not easily be asked over traditional Web-based data resources. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of providing explicit and reliable access to provenance information, which we argue enhances citation rates by encouraging and facilitating transparent scholarly reuse of these valuable data holdings.

  10. Publishing FAIR Data: An Exemplar Methodology Utilizing PHI-Base

    PubMed Central

    Rodríguez-Iglesias, Alejandro; Rodríguez-González, Alejandro; Irvine, Alistair G.; Sesma, Ane; Urban, Martin; Hammond-Kosack, Kim E.; Wilkinson, Mark D.

    2016-01-01

    Pathogen-Host interaction data is core to our understanding of disease processes and their molecular/genetic bases. Facile access to such core data is particularly important for the plant sciences, where individual genetic and phenotypic observations have the added complexity of being dispersed over a wide diversity of plant species vs. the relatively fewer host species of interest to biomedical researchers. Recently, an international initiative interested in scholarly data publishing proposed that all scientific data should be “FAIR”—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. In this work, we describe the process of migrating a database of notable relevance to the plant sciences—the Pathogen-Host Interaction Database (PHI-base)—to a form that conforms to each of the FAIR Principles. We discuss the technical and architectural decisions, and the migration pathway, including observations of the difficulty and/or fidelity of each step. We examine how multiple FAIR principles can be addressed simultaneously through careful design decisions, including making data FAIR for both humans and machines with minimal duplication of effort. We note how FAIR data publishing involves more than data reformatting, requiring features beyond those exhibited by most life science Semantic Web or Linked Data resources. We explore the value-added by completing this FAIR data transformation, and then test the result through integrative questions that could not easily be asked over traditional Web-based data resources. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of providing explicit and reliable access to provenance information, which we argue enhances citation rates by encouraging and facilitating transparent scholarly reuse of these valuable data holdings. PMID:27433158

  11. Predictions of Chemical Species via Diode Laser Spectroscopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Shin-Juh; Silver, Joel A.; Dahm, Werner J. A.; Piltch, Nancy D.; Salzman, Jack (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    A technique to predict temperature and chemical species in flames from absorbance measurement of one chemical species is presented. Predicted temperature and mole fractions of methane and water agreed well with measured and published results.

  12. Developmental validation of the PowerPlex(®) Fusion 6C System.

    PubMed

    Ensenberger, Martin G; Lenz, Kristy A; Matthies, Learden K; Hadinoto, Gregory M; Schienman, John E; Przech, Angela J; Morganti, Michael W; Renstrom, Daniel T; Baker, Victoria M; Gawrys, Kori M; Hoogendoorn, Marlijn; Steffen, Carolyn R; Martín, Pablo; Alonso, Antonio; Olson, Hope R; Sprecher, Cynthia J; Storts, Douglas R

    2016-03-01

    The PowerPlex(®) Fusion 6C System is a 27-locus, six-dye, multiplex that includes all markers in the expanded CODIS core loci and increases overlap with STR database standards throughout the world. Additionally, it contains two, rapidly mutating, Y-STRs and is capable of both casework and database workflows, including direct amplification. A multi-laboratory developmental validation study was performed on the PowerPlex(®) Fusion 6C System. Here, we report the results of that study which followed SWGDAM guidelines and includes data for: species specificity, sensitivity, stability, precision, reproducibility and repeatability, case-type samples, concordance, stutter, DNA mixtures, and PCR-based procedures. Where appropriate we report data from both extracted DNA samples and direct amplification samples from various substrates and collection devices. Samples from all studies were separated on both Applied Biosystems 3500 series and 6-dye capable 3130 series Genetic Analyzers and data is reported for each. Together, the data validate the design and demonstrate the performance of the PowerPlex(®) Fusion 6C System. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  13. Publishing Sami Literature--From Christian Translations to Sami Publishing Houses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paltto, Kirsti

    2010-01-01

    Publishing in the Sami languages has always been difficult. The Sami are currently spread across four countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. There are nine different Sami languages, some of them with only a few speakers. The Sami publishing industry is entirely dependent on government funding as it does not have its own funds nor is there…

  14. Is email a reliable means of contacting authors of previously published papers? A study of the Emergency Medicine Journal for 2001.

    PubMed

    O'Leary, F

    2003-07-01

    To determine whether it is possible to contact authors of previously published papers via email. A cross sectional study of the Emergency Medicine Journal for 2001. 118 articles were included in the study. The response rate from those with valid email addresses was 73%. There was no statistical difference between the type of email address used and the address being invalid (p=0.392) or between the type of article and the likelihood of a reply (p=0.197). More responses were obtained from work addresses when compared with Hotmail addresses (86% v 57%, p=0.02). Email is a valid means of contacting authors of previously published articles, particularly within the emergency medicine specialty. A work based email address may be a more valid means of contact than a Hotmail address.

  15. Reporting guidelines for survey research: an analysis of published guidance and reporting practices.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Carol; Khangura, Sara; Brehaut, Jamie C; Graham, Ian D; Moher, David; Potter, Beth K; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

    2010-08-01

    Research needs to be reported transparently so readers can critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the design, conduct, and analysis of studies. Reporting guidelines have been developed to inform reporting for a variety of study designs. The objective of this study was to identify whether there is a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research. We conducted a three-part project: (1) a systematic review of the literature (including "Instructions to Authors" from the top five journals of 33 medical specialties and top 15 general and internal medicine journals) to identify guidance for reporting survey research; (2) a systematic review of evidence on the quality of reporting of surveys; and (3) a review of reporting of key quality criteria for survey research in 117 recently published reports of self-administered surveys. Fewer than 7% of medical journals (n = 165) provided guidance to authors on survey research despite a majority having published survey-based studies in recent years. We identified four published checklists for conducting or reporting survey research, none of which were validated. We identified eight previous reviews of survey reporting quality, which focused on issues of non-response and accessibility of questionnaires. Our own review of 117 published survey studies revealed that many items were poorly reported: few studies provided the survey or core questions (35%), reported the validity or reliability of the instrument (19%), defined the response rate (25%), discussed the representativeness of the sample (11%), or identified how missing data were handled (11%). There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research. The majority of key reporting criteria are poorly reported in peer-reviewed survey research articles. Our findings highlight the need for clear and consistent reporting guidelines specific to survey research.

  16. Invasive Species Science Update (No. 6)

    Treesearch

    Paula Fornwalt

    2013-01-01

    The sixth issue of the Rocky Mountain Research Station's (RMRS) Invasive Species Science Update is now complete. Published approximately once per year, this newsletter keeps managers and other users up-to-date with recently completed and ongoing research by RMRS scientists, and covers breaking news related to invasive species issues. The newsletter is produced by...

  17. 29 CFR 1607.7 - Use of other validity studies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES (1978) General Principles § 1607.7 Use of other validity studies. A. Validity studies not conducted by the user. Users may, under certain circumstances, support the use of selection... described in test manuals. While publishers of selection procedures have a professional obligation to...

  18. 29 CFR 1607.7 - Use of other validity studies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES (1978) General Principles § 1607.7 Use of other validity studies. A. Validity studies not conducted by the user. Users may, under certain circumstances, support the use of selection... described in test manuals. While publishers of selection procedures have a professional obligation to...

  19. 29 CFR 1607.7 - Use of other validity studies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... EMPLOYEE SELECTION PROCEDURES (1978) General Principles § 1607.7 Use of other validity studies. A. Validity studies not conducted by the user. Users may, under certain circumstances, support the use of selection... described in test manuals. While publishers of selection procedures have a professional obligation to...

  20. Getting Your Textbook Published.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irwin, Armond J.

    1982-01-01

    Points to remember in getting a textbook published are examined: book idea, publisher's sales representatives, letter of inquiry, qualifications for authorship, author information form, idea proposal, reviews, marketing and sales, publishing agreement, author royalties, and copyright assignment. (CT)

  1. Harvard's Young Publishers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuger, Abigail

    1976-01-01

    The Undergraduate Press at Harvard is the first publishing house in the U.S. to be organized and staffed completely by college undergraduates. Its purpose is to introduce college students to the world of publishing, and it plans to issue three volumes a year. (LBH)

  2. Intra-/inter-laboratory validation study on reactive oxygen species assay for chemical photosafety evaluation using two different solar simulators.

    PubMed

    Onoue, Satomi; Hosoi, Kazuhiro; Toda, Tsuguto; Takagi, Hironori; Osaki, Naoto; Matsumoto, Yasuhiro; Kawakami, Satoru; Wakuri, Shinobu; Iwase, Yumiko; Yamamoto, Toshinobu; Nakamura, Kazuichi; Ohno, Yasuo; Kojima, Hajime

    2014-06-01

    A previous multi-center validation study demonstrated high transferability and reliability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay for photosafety evaluation. The present validation study was undertaken to verify further the applicability of different solar simulators and assay performance. In 7 participating laboratories, 2 standards and 42 coded chemicals, including 23 phototoxins and 19 non-phototoxic drugs/chemicals, were assessed by the ROS assay using two different solar simulators (Atlas Suntest CPS series, 3 labs; and Seric SXL-2500V2, 4 labs). Irradiation conditions could be optimized using quinine and sulisobenzone as positive and negative standards to offer consistent assay outcomes. In both solar simulators, the intra- and inter-day precisions (coefficient of variation; CV) for quinine were found to be below 10%. The inter-laboratory CV for quinine averaged 15.4% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and 13.2% (Seric SXL-2500V2) for singlet oxygen and 17.0% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and 7.1% (Seric SXL-2500V2) for superoxide, suggesting high inter-laboratory reproducibility even though different solar simulators were employed for the ROS assay. In the ROS assay on 42 coded chemicals, some chemicals (ca. 19-29%) were unevaluable because of limited solubility and spectral interference. Although several false positives appeared with positive predictivity of ca. 76-92% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and ca. 75-84% (Seric SXL-2500V2), there were no false negative predictions in both solar simulators. A multi-center validation study on the ROS assay demonstrated satisfactory transferability, accuracy, precision, and predictivity, as well as the availability of other solar simulators. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. How to tackle the molecular species inventory for an industrialized nation-lessons from the first phase of the German Barcode of Life initiative GBOL (2012-2015).

    PubMed

    Geiger, M F; Astrin, J J; Borsch, T; Burkhardt, U; Grobe, P; Hand, R; Hausmann, A; Hohberg, K; Krogmann, L; Lutz, M; Monje, C; Misof, B; Morinière, J; Müller, K; Pietsch, S; Quandt, D; Rulik, B; Scholler, M; Traunspurger, W; Haszprunar, G; Wägele, W

    2016-09-01

    Biodiversity loss is mainly driven by human activity. While concern grows over the fate of hot spots of biodiversity, contemporary species losses still prevail in industrialized nations. Therefore, strategies were formulated to halt or reverse the loss, driven by evidence for its value for ecosystem services. Maintenance of the latter through conservation depends on correctly identified species. To this aim, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the GBOL project, a consortium of natural history collections, botanic gardens, and universities working on a barcode reference database for the country's fauna and flora. Several noticeable findings could be useful for future campaigns: (i) validating taxon lists to serve as a taxonomic backbone is time-consuming, but without alternative; (ii) offering financial incentives to taxonomic experts, often citizen scientists, is indispensable; (iii) completion of the libraries for widespread species enables analyses of environmental samples, but the process may not hold pace with technological advancements; (iv) discoveries of new species are among the best stories for the media; (v) a commitment to common data standards and repositories is needed, as well as transboundary cooperation between nations; (vi) after validation, all data should be published online via the BOLD to make them searchable for external users and to allow cross-checking with data from other countries.

  4. Phylogenetic species recognition and hybridisation in Lasiodiplodia: A case study on species from baobabs.

    PubMed

    Cruywagen, Elsie M; Slippers, Bernard; Roux, Jolanda; Wingfield, Michael J

    2017-04-01

    Lasiodiplodia species (Botryosphaeriaceae, Ascomycota) infect a wide range of typically woody plants on which they are associated with many different disease symptoms. In this study, we determined the identity of Lasiodiplodia isolates obtained from baobab (Adansonia species) trees in Africa and reviewed the molecular markers used to describe Lasiodiplodia species. Publicly available and newly produced sequence data for some of the type strains of Lasiodiplodia species showed incongruence amongst phylogenies of five nuclear loci. We conclude that several of the previously described Lasiodiplodia species are hybrids of other species. Isolates from baobab trees in Africa included nine species of Lasiodiplodia and two hybrid species. Inoculation trials with the most common Lasiodiplodia species collected from these trees produced significant lesions on young baobab trees. There was also variation in aggressiveness amongst isolates from the same species. The apparently widespread tendency of Lasiodiplodia species to hybridise demands that phylogenies from multiple loci (more than two and preferably four or more) are compared for congruence prior to new species being described. This will avoid hybrids being incorrectly described as new taxa, as has clearly occurred in the past. Copyright © 2016 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Usefulness of Fatty Acid Composition for Differentiation of Legionella Species

    PubMed Central

    Diogo, Alexandra; Veríssimo, António; Nobre, M. Fernanda; da Costa, Milton S.

    1999-01-01

    Numerical analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of 199 isolates and 76 reference strains, belonging to all validly described species of the genus Legionella that can be cultured in laboratory media, was used to differentiate between the species of this genus. With the exception of the strains that autofluoresced red, it was possible to differentiate all the other Legionella species. The strains of the species L. bozemanii, L. dumoffii, L. feeleii, L. gormanii, L. maceachernii, L. micdadei, and L. quinlivanii did not form single clusters, showing some degree of variability in the fatty acid compositions. The strains of the blue-white autofluorescent species had very similar fatty acid compositions and were difficult to distinguish from each other. Nine isolates had fatty acid profiles unlike those of any of the validly described species and may represent different FAME groups of known species or undescribed Legionella species. The method used in this study was useful for screening and discriminating large number of isolates of Legionella species. Moreover, the results obtained can be included in a database of fatty acid profiles, leading to a more accurate automatic identification of Legionella isolates. PMID:10364593

  6. Measuring cognitive vulnerability to depression: development and validation of the cognitive style questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Haeffel, Gerald J; Gibb, Brandon E; Metalsky, Gerald I; Alloy, Lauren B; Abramson, Lyn Y; Hankin, Benjamin L; Joiner, Thomas E; Swendsen, Joel D

    2008-06-01

    The Cognitive Style Questionnaire (CSQ) measures the cognitive vulnerability factor featured in the hopelessness theory of depression. The CSQ has been used in over 30 published studies since its inception, yet detailed information about the psychometric and validity properties of this instrument has yet to be published. In this article, we describe the development of the CSQ and review reliability and validity evidence. Findings to date using college samples, indicate that the CSQ is a reliable measure of cognitive vulnerability with a high degree of construct validity.

  7. An updated checklist of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) from Madagascar.

    PubMed

    Tantely, Michaël Luciano; Le Goff, Gilbert; Boyer, Sébastien; Fontenille, Didier

    2016-01-01

    An updated checklist of 235 mosquito species from Madagascar is presented. The number of species has increased considerably compared to previous checklists, particularly the last published in 2003 (178 species). This annotated checklist provides concise information on endemism, taxonomic position, developmental stages, larval habitats, distribution, behavior, and vector-borne diseases potentially transmitted. The 235 species belong to 14 genera: Aedeomyia (3 species), Aedes (35 species), Anopheles (26 species), Coquillettidia (3 species), Culex (at least 50 species), Eretmapodites (4 species), Ficalbia (2 species), Hodgesia (at least one species), Lutzia (one species), Mansonia (2 species), Mimomyia (22 species), Orthopodomyia (8 species), Toxorhynchites (6 species), and Uranotaenia (73 species). Due to non-deciphered species complexes, several species remain undescribed. The main remarkable characteristic of Malagasy mosquito fauna is the high biodiversity with 138 endemic species (59%). Presence and abundance of species, and their association, in a given location could be a bio-indicator of environmental particularities such as urban, rural, forested, deforested, and mountainous habitats. Finally, taking into account that Malagasy culicidian fauna includes 64 species (27%) with a known medical or veterinary interest in the world, knowledge of their biology and host preference summarized in this paper improves understanding of their involvement in pathogen transmission in Madagascar. © M.L. Tantely et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2016.

  8. Towards large-scale FAME-based bacterial species identification using machine learning techniques.

    PubMed

    Slabbinck, Bram; De Baets, Bernard; Dawyndt, Peter; De Vos, Paul

    2009-05-01

    In the last decade, bacterial taxonomy witnessed a huge expansion. The swift pace of bacterial species (re-)definitions has a serious impact on the accuracy and completeness of first-line identification methods. Consequently, back-end identification libraries need to be synchronized with the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature. In this study, we focus on bacterial fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiling as a broadly used first-line identification method. From the BAME@LMG database, we have selected FAME profiles of individual strains belonging to the genera Bacillus, Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas. Only those profiles resulting from standard growth conditions have been retained. The corresponding data set covers 74, 44 and 95 validly published bacterial species, respectively, represented by 961, 378 and 1673 standard FAME profiles. Through the application of machine learning techniques in a supervised strategy, different computational models have been built for genus and species identification. Three techniques have been considered: artificial neural networks, random forests and support vector machines. Nearly perfect identification has been achieved at genus level. Notwithstanding the known limited discriminative power of FAME analysis for species identification, the computational models have resulted in good species identification results for the three genera. For Bacillus, Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas, random forests have resulted in sensitivity values, respectively, 0.847, 0.901 and 0.708. The random forests models outperform those of the other machine learning techniques. Moreover, our machine learning approach also outperformed the Sherlock MIS (MIDI Inc., Newark, DE, USA). These results show that machine learning proves very useful for FAME-based bacterial species identification. Besides good bacterial identification at species level, speed and ease of taxonomic synchronization are major advantages of this computational species

  9. Desktop Publishing Made Simple.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wentling, Rose Mary

    1989-01-01

    The author discusses the types of computer hardware and software necessary to set up a desktop publishing system, both for use in educational administration and for instructional purposes. Classroom applications of desktop publishing are presented. The author also provides guidelines for preparing to teach desktop publishing. (CH)

  10. Desktop Publishing: A Brave New World and Publishing from the Desktop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lormand, Robert; Rowe, Jane J.

    1988-01-01

    The first of two articles presents basic selection criteria for desktop publishing software packages, including discussion of expectations, required equipment, training costs, publication size, desired software features, additional equipment needed, and quality control. The second provides a brief description of desktop publishing using the Apple…

  11. The development and validation of a single SNaPshot multiplex for tiger species and subspecies identification--implications for forensic purposes.

    PubMed

    Kitpipit, Thitika; Tobe, Shanan S; Kitchener, Andrew C; Gill, Peter; Linacre, Adrian

    2012-03-01

    The tiger (Panthera tigris) is currently listed on Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; this affords it the highest level of international protection. To aid in the investigation of alleged illegal trade in tiger body parts and derivatives, molecular approaches have been developed to identify biological material as being of tiger in origin. Some countries also require knowledge of the exact tiger subspecies present in order to prosecute anyone alleged to be trading in tiger products. In this study we aimed to develop and validate a reliable single assay to identify tiger species and subspecies simultaneously; this test is based on identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the tiger mitochondrial genome. The mitochondrial DNA sequence from four of the five extant putative tiger subspecies that currently exist in the wild were obtained and combined with DNA sequence data from 492 tiger and 349 other mammalian species available on GenBank. From the sequence data a total of 11 SNP loci were identified as suitable for further analyses. Five SNPs were species-specific for tiger and six amplify one of the tiger subspecies-specific SNPs, three of which were specific to P. t. sumatrae and the other three were specific to P. t. tigris. The multiplex assay was able to reliably identify 15 voucher tiger samples. The sensitivity of the test was 15,000 mitochondrial DNA copies (approximately 0.26 pg), indicating that it will work on trace amounts of tissue, bone or hair samples. This simple test will add to the DNA-based methods currently being used to identify the presence of tiger within mixed samples. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Targeting Conserved Genes in Penicillium Species.

    PubMed

    Peterson, Stephen W

    2017-01-01

    Polymerase chain reaction amplification of conserved genes and sequence analysis provides a very powerful tool for the identification of toxigenic as well as non-toxigenic Penicillium species. Sequences are obtained by amplification of the gene fragment, sequencing via capillary electrophoresis of dideoxynucleotide-labeled fragments or NGS. The sequences are compared to a database of validated isolates. Identification of species indicates the potential of the fungus to make particular mycotoxins.

  13. Criteria of validity for animal models of psychiatric disorders: focus on anxiety disorders and depression

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Animal models of psychiatric disorders are usually discussed with regard to three criteria first elaborated by Willner; face, predictive and construct validity. Here, we draw the history of these concepts and then try to redraw and refine these criteria, using the framework of the diathesis model of depression that has been proposed by several authors. We thus propose a set of five major criteria (with sub-categories for some of them); homological validity (including species validity and strain validity), pathogenic validity (including ontopathogenic validity and triggering validity), mechanistic validity, face validity (including ethological and biomarker validity) and predictive validity (including induction and remission validity). Homological validity requires that an adequate species and strain be chosen: considering species validity, primates will be considered to have a higher score than drosophila, and considering strains, a high stress reactivity in a strain scores higher than a low stress reactivity in another strain. Pathological validity corresponds to the fact that, in order to shape pathological characteristics, the organism has been manipulated both during the developmental period (for example, maternal separation: ontopathogenic validity) and during adulthood (for example, stress: triggering validity). Mechanistic validity corresponds to the fact that the cognitive (for example, cognitive bias) or biological mechanisms (such as dysfunction of the hormonal stress axis regulation) underlying the disorder are identical in both humans and animals. Face validity corresponds to the observable behavioral (ethological validity) or biological (biomarker validity) outcomes: for example anhedonic behavior (ethological validity) or elevated corticosterone (biomarker validity). Finally, predictive validity corresponds to the identity of the relationship between the triggering factor and the outcome (induction validity) and between the effects of the treatments

  14. A PCR-Based Diagnostic System for Differentiating Two Weevil Species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) of Economic Importance to the Chilean Citrus Industry.

    PubMed

    Aguirre, C; Olivares, N; Luppichini, P; Hinrichsen, P

    2015-02-01

    A PCR-based method was developed to identify Naupactus cervinus (Boheman) and Naupactus xanthographus (Germar), two curculionids affecting the citrus industry in Chile. The quarantine status of these two species depends on the country to which fruits are exported. This identification method was developed because it is not possible to discriminate between these two species at the egg stage. The method is based on the species-specific amplification of sequences of internal transcribed spacers, for which we cloned and sequenced these genome fragments from each species. We designed an identification system based on two duplex-PCR reactions. Each one contains the species-specific primer set and a second generic primer set that amplify a short 18S region common to coleopterans, to avoid false negatives. The marker system is able to differentiate each Naupactus species at any life stage, and with a diagnostic sensitivity to 0.045 ng of genomic DNA. This PCR kit was validated by samples collected from different citrus production areas throughout Chile and showed 100% accuracy in differentiating the two Naupactus species. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Validation of Welding Curriculum Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Sheila D.

    A study was conducted to validate the welding curriculum materials developed and published by the Oklahoma State Department of Vocational and Technical Education. Twelve instructors collected achievement data (unit tests, assignment sheets, and evaluation forms) concerning the performance of 280 students on a total of 46 instructional units. Item…

  16. Adaptation of the fish juvenile growth test (OECD TG 215, 2000) to the marine species Dicentrarchus labrax.

    PubMed

    Tornambè, A; Manfra, L; Canepa, S; Oteri, F; Martuccio, G; Cicero, A M; Magaletti, E

    2018-02-01

    The OECD TG 215 method (2000) (C.14 method of EC Regulation 440/2008) was developed on the rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss) to assess chronic toxicity (28d) of chemicals on fish juveniles. It contemplates to use other well documented species identifying suitable conditions to evaluate their growth. OECD proposes the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L. 1758) as Mediterranean species among vertebrates recommended in the OECD guidelines for the toxicity testing of chemicals. In this context, our study is aimed to proposing the adaptation of the growth test (OECD TG 215, 2000) to D. labrax. For this purpose toxicity tests were performed with sodium dodecyl sulfate, a reference toxicant commonly used in fish toxicity assays. The main aspects of the testing procedure were reviewed: fish size (weight), environmental conditions, dilution water type, experimental design, loading rate and stocking density, feeding (food type and ration), test validity criteria. The experience gained from growth tests with the sea bass allows to promote its inclusion among the species to be used for the C.14 method. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Academic Nightmares: Predatory Publishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Nuland, Sonya E.; Rogers, Kem A.

    2017-01-01

    Academic researchers who seek to publish their work are confronted daily with a barrage of e-mails from aggressive marketing campaigns that solicit them to publish their research with a specialized, often newly launched, journal. Known as predatory journals, they often promise high editorial and publishing standards, yet their exploitive business…

  18. The New Publishing: Technology's Impact on the Publishing Industry over the Next Decade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rawlins, Gregory J. E.

    1992-01-01

    Discusses technology's impact on the products, revenue sources, and distribution channels of the publishing industry over the next decade. Highlights include electronic books and copy protection; copyright; advantages of electronic books to users, libraries, and publishers; retailing schemes; changes in education; subscription publishing;…

  19. New species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from South and Central America.

    PubMed

    Galileo, Maria Helena M; Santos-Silva, Antonio; Tirant, Stéphane Le

    2015-01-01

    Three new species are described: Tropidion birai (Cerambycinae, Neoibidionini) from Bolivia; Chrysoprasis birai (Cerambycinae, Heteropsini) from Panama; and Recchia nearnsi (Lamiinae, Aerenicini) from Bolivia. The new species are included in amended versions of previously published keys to species of each genus.

  20. Measuring cognitive vulnerability to depression: Development and validation of the cognitive style questionnaire

    PubMed Central

    Haeffel, Gerald J.; Gibb, Brandon E.; Metalsky, Gerald I.; Alloy, Lauren B.; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Hankin, Benjamin L.; Joiner, Thomas E.; Swendsen, Joel D.

    2014-01-01

    The Cognitive Style Questionnaire (CSQ) measures the cognitive vulnerability factor featured in the hopelessness theory of depression. The CSQ has been used in over 30 published studies since its inception, yet detailed information about the psychometric and validity properties of this instrument has yet to be published. In this article, we describe the development of the CSQ and review reliability and validity evidence. Findings to date using college samples, indicate that the CSQ is a reliable measure of cognitive vulnerability with a high degree of construct validity. PMID:18234405

  1. Publishing: The Creative Business.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bohne, Harald; Van Ierssel, Harry

    This book offers guidelines to emerging and would-be publishers, whether they plan to enter publishing as a career, a sideline, or a diversion. It stresses the business aspects of publishing and emphasizes the major housekeeping functions encountered in the business, except methods of sales and distribution. Contents include "The Mechanics of…

  2. Taxonomic revision of the South American catfish genus Ageneiosus (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) with the description of four new species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ribeiro, Frank R.V.; Rapp Py-Daniel, Lúcia H.; Walsh, Stephen J.

    2017-01-01

    The catfish genus Ageneiosus in the exclusively Neotropical family Auchenipteridae is revised. Species of Ageneiosus are widely distributed in all major South American continental drainages except the São Francisco River basin and small rivers along the Brazilian east coast. The taxonomic revision was based on examination of available type specimens, additional museum material and comparisons of original descriptions. A suite of morphometric, meristic and qualitative characters of internal and external anatomy were used to diagnose valid species and determine synonyms. Thirteen valid species are recognized in the genus Ageneiosus, some of which are widely distributed across South America. Ageneiosus pardalis is the only trans-Andean species in the genus. Ageneiosus polystictus and Ageneiosus uranophthalmus are more widely distributed than previously reported. Ageneiosus marmoratus is a junior synonym of Ageneiosus inermis. Ageneiosus dentatus is a valid species and its name is removed from the synonymy of Ageneiosus ucayalensis. Four new species are described: Ageneiosus akamai, Ageneiosus apiaka, Ageneiosus intrusus and Ageneiosus lineatus, all from the Amazon River basin. A dichotomous key for all 13 valid species of Ageneiosus species is provided.

  3. Lights, Camera, Publishing?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayoub, Nina C.

    2008-01-01

    Are university presses ready for their close-up? In a nod to Hollywood, a growing number of trade publishers are producing book trailers to promote new titles. But do video teasers have a role in university-press publishing? What about longer formats? Based on an entirely unscientific poll of publicists at 25 university presses, the answer appears…

  4. Evaluation of the Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Listeria species Assay.

    PubMed

    Cloke, Jonathan; Evans, Katharine; Crabtree, David; Hughes, Annette; Simpson, Helen; Holopainen, Jani; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko

    2014-03-01

    The Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Listeria species Assay is a new real-time PCR assay for the detection of all species of Listeria in food and environmental samples. This validation study was conducted using the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested MethodsSM program to validate the SureTect Listeria species Assay in comparison to the reference method detailed in International Organization for Standardization 11290-1:1996 including amendment 1:2004 in a variety of foods plus plastic and stainless steel. The food matrixes validated were smoked salmon, processed cheese, fresh bagged spinach, cantaloupe, cooked prawns, cooked sliced turkey meat, cooked sliced ham, salami, pork frankfurters, and raw ground beef. All matrixes were tested by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Division, Basingstoke, UK. In addition, three matrixes (pork frankfurters, fresh bagged spinach, and stainless steel surface samples) were analyzed independently as part of the AOAC-RI-controlled independent laboratory study by the University of Guelph, Canada. Using probability of detection statistical analysis, a significant difference in favour of the SureTect assay was demonstrated between the SureTect and reference method for high level spiked samples of pork frankfurters, smoked salmon, cooked prawns, stainless steel, and low-spiked samples of salami. For all other matrixes, no significant difference was seen between the two methods during the study. Inclusivity testing was conducted with 68 different isolates of Listeria species, all of which were detected by the SureTect Listeria species Assay. None of the 33 exclusivity isolates were detected by the SureTect Listeria species Assay. Ruggedness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the assay with specific method deviations outside of the recommended parameters open to variation, which demonstrated that the assay gave reliable performance. Accelerated stability testing was additionally conducted, validating the

  5. Near infra-red spectroscopy quantitative modelling of bivalve protein, lipid and glycogen composition using single-species versus multi-species calibration and validation sets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartlett, Jill K.; Maher, William A.; Purss, Matthew B. J.

    2018-03-01

    Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) quantitative modelling was used to measure the protein, lipid and glycogen composition of five marine bivalve species (Saccostrea glomerata, Ostrea angasi, Crassostrea gigas, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Anadara trapezia) from multiple locations and seasons. Predictive models were produced for each component using individual species and aggregated sample populations for the three oyster species (S. glomerata, O. angasi and C. gigas) and for all five bivalve species. Whole animal tissues were freeze dried, ground to > 20 μm and scanned by NIRS. Protein, lipid and glycogen composition were determined by traditional chemical analyses and calibration models developed to allow rapid NIRS-measurement of these components in the five bivalve species. Calibration modelling was performed using wavelet selection, genetic algorithms and partial least squares analysis. Model quality was assessed using RPIQ and RMESP. For protein composition, single species model results had RPIQ values between 2.4 and 3.5 and RMSEP between 8.6 and 18%, the three oyster model had an RPIQ of 2.6 and an RMSEP of 10.8% and the five bivalve species had an RPIQ of 3.6 and RMSEP of 8.7% respectively. For lipid composition, single species models achieved RPIQ values between 2.9 and 5.3 with RMSEP between 9.1 and 11.2%, the oyster model had an RPIQ of 3.6 and RMSEP of 6.8 and the five bivalve model had an RPIQ of 5.2 and RMSEP of 6.8% respectively. For glycogen composition, the single species models had RPIQs between 3.8 and 18.9 with RMSEP between 3.5 and 9.2%, the oyster model had an RPIQ of 5.5 and RMSEP of 7.1% and the five bivalve model had an RPIQ of 4 and RMSEP of 7.6% respectively. Comparison between individual species models and aggregated models for three oyster species and five bivalve species for each component indicate that aggregating data from like species produces high quality models with robust and reliable quantitative application. The benefit of

  6. Publishers' Note

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    EPL Management Team

    2008-12-01

    We would like to thank all our contributors, subscribers, reviewers, and readers for their interest in EPL during 2008. You each play an invaluable role in the promotion, prestige, development and success of the journal and therefore your continued support is greatly appreciated. The Directors' vision for EPL to become a leading home for global physics letters, to offer rapid publication of ground-breaking physics results from the international community, and to provide the broadest coverage of physics research, is beginning to take shape as increased submissions, reduced acceptance rates, raised scientific quality, rapid publication, and greater visibility amongst the community are achieved. The latest published articles will continue to be freely available for 30 days from their on-line publication. Those articles highlighted by the Co-Editors in 2008 will remain free-to-all for the entire of 2009. We invite you to visit the website regularly (http://www.epljournal.org) to stay up-to-date with the journal's latest developments and to read the most recent articles. Our most recent opportunity publicized on the EPL website and in the CERN SCOAP3 (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics) messages is below: Open Access Opportunity for Authors of Experimental and Theoretical HEP Articles EPL is delighted to offer open access free of charge to all authors submitting experimental and theoretical letters in PACS codes 10 and 20. This offer will remain open until the SCOAP3 agreement at CERN takes effect. Authors submitting any article to EPL will continue to be offered the opportunity to make their published letter open access for a one-off payment. However, with effect from 1 November 2008, any author who submits work related to subject areas within PACS 10 and 20 will benefit from open access at no charge, meaning their published article will be available free to all readers, forever. ``Physics of Elementary Particles and Fields'' and

  7. Effects of environmental change on plant species density: Comparing predictions with experiments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gough, L.; Grace, J.B.

    1999-01-01

    Ideally, general ecological relationships may be used to predict responses of natural communities to environmental change, but few attempts have been made to determine the reliability of predictions based on descriptive data. Using a previously published structural equation model (SEM) of descriptive data from a coastal marsh landscape, we compared these predictions against observed changes in plant species density resulting from field experiments (manipulations of soil fertility, flooding, salinity, and mammalian herbivory) in two areas within the same marsh. In general, observed experimental responses were fairly consistent with predictions. The largest discrepancy occurred when sods were transplanted from high- to low-salinity sites and herbivores selectively consumed a particularly palatable plant species in the transplanted sods. Individual plot responses to some treatments were predicted more accurately than others. Individual fertilized plot responses were not consistent with predictions (P > 0.05), nor were fenced plots (herbivore exclosures; R2 = 0.15) compared to unfenced plots (R2 = 0.53). For the remaining treatments, predictions reasonably matched responses (R2 = 0.63). We constructed an SEM for the experimental data; it explained 60% of the variance in species density and showed that fencing and fertilization led to decreases in species density that were not predicted from treatment effects on community biomass or observed disturbance levels. These treatments may have affected the ratio of live to dead biomass, and competitive exclusion likely decreased species density in fenced and fertilized plots. We conclude that experimental validation is required to determine the predictive value of comparative relationships derived from descriptive data.

  8. An appraisal of published usability evaluations of electronic health records via systematic review.

    PubMed

    Ellsworth, Marc A; Dziadzko, Mikhail; O'Horo, John C; Farrell, Ann M; Zhang, Jiajie; Herasevich, Vitaly

    2017-01-01

    In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate methodological and reporting trends present in the current literature by investigating published usability studies of electronic health records (EHRs). A literature search was conducted for articles published through January 2015 using MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science, supplemented by citation and reference list reviews. Studies were included if they tested the usability of hospital and clinic EHR systems in the inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, or operating room setting. A total of 4848 references were identified for title and abstract screening. Full text screening was performed for 197 articles, with 120 meeting the criteria for study inclusion. A review of the literature demonstrates a paucity of quality published studies describing scientifically valid and reproducible usability evaluations at various stages of EHR system development. A lack of formal and standardized reporting of EHR usability evaluation results is a major contributor to this knowledge gap, and efforts to improve this deficiency will be one step of moving the field of usability engineering forward. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Evaluation of the mtDNA-COII Region Based Species Specific Assay for Identifying Members of the Anopheles culicifacies Species Complex

    PubMed Central

    Manonmani, Arulsamy Mary; Mathivanan, Ashok Kumar; Sadanandane, Candassamy; Jambulingam, Purushothaman

    2013-01-01

    Background: Anopheles culicifacies, a major malarial vector has been recognized as a complex of five sibling species, A, B, C, D and E. These sibling species exhibit varied vectorial capacity, host specificity and susceptibility to malarial parasites/ insecticides. In this study, a PCR assay developed earlier for distinguishing the five individual species was validated on samples of An. culicifacies collected from various parts of India. Methods: The samples were initially screened using the rDNA-ITS2 region based primers which categorised the samples into either A/D group or B/C/E group. A proportion of samples belonging to each group were subjected to the mtDNA-COII PCR assay for identifying individual species. Results: Among the 615 samples analysed by rDNA-ITS2 PCR assay, 303 were found to belong to A/D group and 299 to B/C/E group while 13 turned negative. Among 163 samples belonging to A/D group, only one sample displayed the profile characteristic of species A and among the 176 samples falling in the B/C/E group, 51 were identified as species B, 14 as species C and 41 as species E respectively by the mtDNA-COII PCR assay. Samples exhibiting products diagnostic of B/C/E, when subjected to PCR-RFLP assay identified 15 samples as species E. Conclusion: Validation of the mtDNA-COII PCR assay on large number of samples showed that this technique cannot be used universally to distinguish the 5 members of this species complex, as it has been designed based on minor/single base differences observed in the COII region. PMID:24409441

  10. Consideration of species differences in developing novel molecules as cognition enhancers.

    PubMed

    Young, Jared W; Jentsch, J David; Bussey, Timothy J; Wallace, Tanya L; Hutcheson, Daniel M

    2013-11-01

    The NIH-funded CNTRICS initiative has coordinated efforts to promote the vertical translation of novel procognitive molecules from testing in mice, rats and non-human primates, to clinical efficacy in patients with schizophrenia. CNTRICS highlighted improving construct validation of tasks across species to increase the likelihood that the translation of a candidate molecule to humans will be successful. Other aspects of cross-species behaviors remain important however. This review describes cognitive tasks utilized across species, providing examples of differences and similarities of innate behavior between species, as well as convergent construct and predictive validity. Tests of attention, olfactory discrimination, reversal learning, and paired associate learning are discussed. Moreover, information on the practical implication of species differences in drug development research is also provided. The issues covered here will aid in task development and utilization across species as well as reinforcing the positive role preclinical research can have in developing procognitive treatments for psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Revision on Palaearctic species of Periclistus Förster with description of a new species and its host plant gall (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae)

    PubMed Central

    Pujade-Villar, Juli; Wang, Yiping; Guo, Rui; Chen, Xuexin

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Palaearctic species of Periclistus Förster has been systematically described, but a new inquiline gall-wasp, Periclistus qinghainensis sp. n., is described from China. This species was obtained from an unknown stem gall induced on Rosa sp. Diagnosis, distribution and biology of the new species are described in this paper. After examining the types of Periclistus idoneus Belizin, 1973 and Periclistus capillatus Belizin, 1968, it is concluded that Periclistus idoneus belongs to genus Aulacidea, and Periclistus capillatus is a valid species of Periclistus. A key to the Palaearctic Periclistus species is also given. PMID:27408577

  12. Near infra-red spectroscopy quantitative modelling of bivalve protein, lipid and glycogen composition using single-species versus multi-species calibration and validation sets.

    PubMed

    Bartlett, Jill K; Maher, William A; Purss, Matthew B J

    2018-03-15

    Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) quantitative modelling was used to measure the protein, lipid and glycogen composition of five marine bivalve species (Saccostrea glomerata, Ostrea angasi, Crassostrea gigas, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Anadara trapezia) from multiple locations and seasons. Predictive models were produced for each component using individual species and aggregated sample populations for the three oyster species (S. glomerata, O. angasi and C. gigas) and for all five bivalve species. Whole animal tissues were freeze dried, ground to >20μm and scanned by NIRS. Protein, lipid and glycogen composition were determined by traditional chemical analyses and calibration models developed to allow rapid NIRS-measurement of these components in the five bivalve species. Calibration modelling was performed using wavelet selection, genetic algorithms and partial least squares analysis. Model quality was assessed using RPIQ and RMESP. For protein composition, single species model results had RPIQ values between 2.4 and 3.5 and RMSEP between 8.6 and 18%, the three oyster model had an RPIQ of 2.6 and an RMSEP of 10.8% and the five bivalve species had an RPIQ of 3.6 and RMSEP of 8.7% respectively. For lipid composition, single species models achieved RPIQ values between 2.9 and 5.3 with RMSEP between 9.1 and 11.2%, the oyster model had an RPIQ of 3.6 and RMSEP of 6.8 and the five bivalve model had an RPIQ of 5.2 and RMSEP of 6.8% respectively. For glycogen composition, the single species models had RPIQs between 3.8 and 18.9 with RMSEP between 3.5 and 9.2%, the oyster model had an RPIQ of 5.5 and RMSEP of 7.1% and the five bivalve model had an RPIQ of 4 and RMSEP of 7.6% respectively. Comparison between individual species models and aggregated models for three oyster species and five bivalve species for each component indicate that aggregating data from like species produces high quality models with robust and reliable quantitative application. The benefit of

  13. Scholarly Publishing: Books, Journals, Publishers, and Libraries in the Twentieth Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abel, Richard E., Ed.; Newlin, Lyman W., Ed.

    2002-01-01

    In this volume, publishers, booksellers, journal dealers, and librarians share their views on libraries and publishing. While the information/knowledge transfer process in the entire span of the twentieth century was to be addressed by the contributors, the principal focus of every author was to be the last five decades in which the most profound,…

  14. New species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from South and Central America

    PubMed Central

    Galileo, Maria Helena M.; Santos-Silva, Antonio; Tirant, Stéphane Le

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Three new species are described: Tropidion birai (Cerambycinae, Neoibidionini) from Bolivia; Chrysoprasis birai (Cerambycinae, Heteropsini) from Panama; and Recchia nearnsi (Lamiinae, Aerenicini) from Bolivia. The new species are included in amended versions of previously published keys to species of each genus. PMID:26668539

  15. Transition to electronic publishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowning, Sam

    Previous communications have described some of the many changes that will occur in the next few months as AGU makes the transition to fully electronic publishing. With the advent of the new AGU electronic publishing system, manuscripts will be submitted, edited, reviewed, and published in electronic formats. This piece discusses how the electronic journals will differ from the print journals. Electronic publishing will require some adjustments to the ways we currently think about journals from our perspective of standard print versions. Visiting the Web site of AGU's Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G-Cubed) is a great way to get familiar with the look and feel of electronic publishing. However, protocols, especially for citations of articles, are still evolving. Some of the biggest changes for users of AGU publications may be the lack of page numbers, the use of a unique identifier (DOI),and changes in citation style.

  16. Clostridium neonatale sp. nov. linked to necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and a clarification of species assignable to the genus Clostridium (Prazmowski 1880) emend. Lawson and Rainey 2016.

    PubMed

    Bernard, Kathryn; Burdz, Tamara; Wiebe, Deborah; Alfa, Michelle; Bernier, Anne-Marie

    2018-06-11

    A description of an outbreak of necrotizing enterocolitis among neonates, linked to the putative novel species Clostridium neonatale and assignable to the genus Clostridium, was previously reported in brief but that name had never been validly published (Alfa et al. Clin Inf Dis 2002;35:S101-S105). Features of this taxon group and its phylogenetic position with respect to contemporary species in the genus Clostridium were recently reviewed and still found to be unique. Therefore, we provide here a description based on biochemical, chemotaxonomic and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS, 16S rRNA gene sequencing as well as information obtained by whole genome sequencing (WGS) for strains 99A005 T and 99A006. Those two C. neonatale strains were essentially identical to each other, with genome sizes of 4 658 596-4 705 520 bp and G+C content of 28.4-28.5 mol% (WGS). AST inferred susceptibility to 14 antibiotics. MALDI-TOF spectra were unique and could potentially be used for identification. The type strain is (NML) LCDC 99A005 T [=ATCC BAA-265 T =CCUG 46077 T =St. Boniface Hospital 30686 T ]. While performing this review, we found that the names of 24 validly published species assignable to the genus Clostridium had been omitted from the emended description of the genus (Lawson and Rainey Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2016;66 :1009-1016). Those species are listed in brief here. Lastly, based on this review, we also propose that Eubacterium budayi, Eubacterium nitritogenes and Eubacterium combesii be transferred to the emended genus Clostridium, as Clostridium budayi comb. nov., Clostridium nitritogenes comb. nov. and Clostridium combesii comb. nov., respectively.

  17. NASAwide electronic publishing system: Electronic printing and duplicating, stage-2 evaluation report (GSFC)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tuey, Richard C.; Lane, Robert; Hart, Susan V.

    1995-01-01

    The NASA Scientific and Technical Information Office was assigned the responsibility to continue with the expansion of the NASAwide networked electronic duplicating effort by including the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as an additional node to the existing configuration of networked electronic duplicating systems within NASA. The subject of this report is the evaluation of a networked electronic duplicating system which meets the duplicating requirements and expands electronic publishing capabilities without increasing current operating costs. This report continues the evaluation reported in 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Electronic Printing and Duplicating Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106242) and 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Stage 1 Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106510). This report differs from the previous reports through the inclusion of an external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing functionality which did not exist with the previous networked electronic duplicating system. Additionally, a two-phase approach to the evaluation was undertaken; the first was a paper study justifying a 90-day, on-site evaluation, and the second phase was to validate, during the 90-day evaluation, the cost benefits and productivity increases that could be achieved in an operational mode. A benchmark of the functionality of the networked electronic publishing system and external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing system was performed under a simulated daily production environment. This report can be used to guide others in determining the most cost effective duplicating/publishing alternative through the use of cost/benefit analysis and return on investment techniques. A treatise on the use of these techniques can be found by referring to 'NASA Electronic Publishing System -Cost/Benefit Methodology' (NASA TM-106662).

  18. External validation of preexisting first trimester preeclampsia prediction models.

    PubMed

    Allen, Rebecca E; Zamora, Javier; Arroyo-Manzano, David; Velauthar, Luxmilar; Allotey, John; Thangaratinam, Shakila; Aquilina, Joseph

    2017-10-01

    To validate the increasing number of prognostic models being developed for preeclampsia using our own prospective study. A systematic review of literature that assessed biomarkers, uterine artery Doppler and maternal characteristics in the first trimester for the prediction of preeclampsia was performed and models selected based on predefined criteria. Validation was performed by applying the regression coefficients that were published in the different derivation studies to our cohort. We assessed the models discrimination ability and calibration. Twenty models were identified for validation. The discrimination ability observed in derivation studies (Area Under the Curves) ranged from 0.70 to 0.96 when these models were validated against the validation cohort, these AUC varied importantly, ranging from 0.504 to 0.833. Comparing Area Under the Curves obtained in the derivation study to those in the validation cohort we found statistically significant differences in several studies. There currently isn't a definitive prediction model with adequate ability to discriminate for preeclampsia, which performs as well when applied to a different population and can differentiate well between the highest and lowest risk groups within the tested population. The pre-existing large number of models limits the value of further model development and future research should be focussed on further attempts to validate existing models and assessing whether implementation of these improves patient care. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigating species co-occurrence patterns when species are detected imperfectly

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    MacKenzie, D.I.; Bailey, L.L.; Nichols, J.D.

    2004-01-01

    1. Over the last 30 years there has been a great deal of interest in investigating patterns of species co-occurrence across a number of locations, which has led to the development of numerous methods to determine whether there is evidence that a particular pattern may not have occurred by random chance. 2. A key aspect that seems to have been largely overlooked is the possibility that species may not always be detected at a location when present, which leads to 'false absences' in a species presence/absence matrix that may cause incorrect inferences to be made about co-occurrence patterns. Furthermore, many of the published methods for investigating patterns of species co-occurrence do not account for potential differences in the site characteristics that may partially (at least) explain non-random patterns (e.g. due to species having similar/different habitat preferences). 3. Here we present a statistical method for modelling co-occurrence patterns between species while accounting for imperfect detection and site characteristics. This method requires that multiple presence/absence surveys for the species be conducted over a reasonably short period of time at most sites. The method yields unbiased estimates of probabilities of occurrence, and is practical when the number of species is small (< 4). 4. To illustrate the method we consider data collected on two terrestrial salamander species, Plethodonjordani and members of the Plethodon glutinosus complex, collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. We find no evidence that the species do not occur independently at sites once site elevation has been allowed for, although we find some evidence of a statistical interaction between species in terms of detectability that we suggest may be due to changes in relative abundances.

  20. BOOK PUBLISHING IN COMMUNIST CHINA.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LIU, ALAN P.

    A GENERAL STUDY WAS MADE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY IN COMMUNIST CHINA. FIRST THE PAPER REVIEWS BRIEFLY THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY OF PUBLISHING IN PRE-COMMUNIST CHINA. NEXT THE COMMUNIST NATIONALIZATION OF THE PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE IS DESCRIBED. THEN THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE PUBLISHING OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF…

  1. Reporting Guidelines for Survey Research: An Analysis of Published Guidance and Reporting Practices

    PubMed Central

    Bennett, Carol; Khangura, Sara; Brehaut, Jamie C.; Graham, Ian D.; Moher, David; Potter, Beth K.; M. Grimshaw, Jeremy

    2011-01-01

    Background Research needs to be reported transparently so readers can critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the design, conduct, and analysis of studies. Reporting guidelines have been developed to inform reporting for a variety of study designs. The objective of this study was to identify whether there is a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research. Methods and Findings We conducted a three-part project: (1) a systematic review of the literature (including “Instructions to Authors” from the top five journals of 33 medical specialties and top 15 general and internal medicine journals) to identify guidance for reporting survey research; (2) a systematic review of evidence on the quality of reporting of surveys; and (3) a review of reporting of key quality criteria for survey research in 117 recently published reports of self-administered surveys. Fewer than 7% of medical journals (n = 165) provided guidance to authors on survey research despite a majority having published survey-based studies in recent years. We identified four published checklists for conducting or reporting survey research, none of which were validated. We identified eight previous reviews of survey reporting quality, which focused on issues of non-response and accessibility of questionnaires. Our own review of 117 published survey studies revealed that many items were poorly reported: few studies provided the survey or core questions (35%), reported the validity or reliability of the instrument (19%), defined the response rate (25%), discussed the representativeness of the sample (11%), or identified how missing data were handled (11%). Conclusions There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research. The majority of key reporting criteria are poorly reported in peer-reviewed survey research articles. Our findings highlight the need for clear and consistent reporting guidelines specific to survey research. Please see

  2. Araneae Sloveniae: a national spider species checklist

    PubMed Central

    Kostanjšek, Rok; Kuntner, Matjaž

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The research of the spider fauna of Slovenia dates back to the very beginning of binomial nomenclature, and has gone through more and less prolific phases with authors concentrating on taxonomy, faunistics, ecology and zoogeographic reviews. Although the body of published works is remarkable for a small nation, the faunistic data has remained too scattered for a thorough understanding of regional biotic diversity, for comparative and ecological research, and for informed conservation purposes. A national checklist is long overdue. Here, a critical review of all published records in any language is provided. The species list currently comprises 738 species, is published online at http://www.bioportal.si/katalog/araneae.php under the title Araneae Sloveniae, and will be updated in due course. This tool will fill the void in cataloguing regional spider faunas and will facilitate further araneological research in central and southern Europe. PMID:25632258

  3. Araneae Sloveniae: a national spider species checklist.

    PubMed

    Kostanjšek, Rok; Kuntner, Matjaž

    2015-01-01

    The research of the spider fauna of Slovenia dates back to the very beginning of binomial nomenclature, and has gone through more and less prolific phases with authors concentrating on taxonomy, faunistics, ecology and zoogeographic reviews. Although the body of published works is remarkable for a small nation, the faunistic data has remained too scattered for a thorough understanding of regional biotic diversity, for comparative and ecological research, and for informed conservation purposes. A national checklist is long overdue. Here, a critical review of all published records in any language is provided. The species list currently comprises 738 species, is published online at http://www.bioportal.si/katalog/araneae.php under the title Araneae Sloveniae, and will be updated in due course. This tool will fill the void in cataloguing regional spider faunas and will facilitate further araneological research in central and southern Europe.

  4. Are Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum a single species?

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Since the original description and naming of Ascaris lumbricoides from humans by Linnaeus in 1758 and later of Ascaris suum from pigs by Goeze 1782, these species have been considered to be valid. Four hypotheses relative to the conspecificity or lack thereof (and thus origin of these species) are possible: 1) Ascaris lumbricoides (usually infecting humans) and Ascaris suum (recorded mostly from pigs) are both valid species, with the two species originating via a speciation event from a common ancestor sometime before the domestication of pigs by humans, or 2) Ascaris lumbricoides in humans is derived directly from the species A. suum found in pigs with A. suum then existing as a persistent ancestor after formation of A. lumbricoides, or 3) Ascaris suum is derived directly from A. lumbricoides with the persistent ancestor being A. lumbricoides and A. suum being the newly derived species, and finally, 4) Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum are the same species, this hypothesis being supported by studies showing both low morphological and low genetic divergence at several genes. We present and discuss paleoparasitological and genetic evidence that complement new data to evaluate the origin and evolution of Ascaris spp. in humans and pigs, and the uniqueness of the species in both hosts. Finally, we conclude that Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum are a single species and that the name A. lumbricoides Linnaeus 1758 has taxonomic priority; therefore A. suum Goeze 1782 should be considered a synonym of A. lumbricoides. PMID:22348306

  5. College Textbook Publishing: Patterns of Corporate Diversification and the Rationalization of the Publishing Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suarez, Jacinto E.

    1994-01-01

    Examines the impact of publishing industry diversification on the college textbook publishing process. Topics discussed include characteristics and trends of the college publishing industry; corporate ownership and managerial practices; the rationalization of editorial and marketing processes; evaluative criteria; author selection; and suggestions…

  6. Establishing a Book Publishing Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciofalo, Andrew

    Addressing the need to prepare college graduates for careers in book publishing, this report examines the necessity and structure of a book publishing curriculum at the undergraduate level at Loyola College in Maryland. A 1977 bulletin by the American Association of Publishers (AAP) cited a lack of awareness of publishing as a possible career, and…

  7. Data Sharing & Publishing at Nature Publishing Group

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    VanDecar, J. C.; Hrynaszkiewicz, I.; Hufton, A. L.

    2015-12-01

    In recent years, the research community has come to recognize that upon-request data sharing has important limitations1,2. The Nature-titled journals feel that researchers have a duty to share data without undue qualifications, in a manner that allows others to replicate and build upon their published findings. Historically, the Nature journals have been strong supporters of data deposition in communities with existing data mandates, and have required data sharing upon request in all other cases. To help address some of the limitations of upon-request data sharing, the Nature titles have strengthened their existing data policies and forged a new partnership with Scientific Data, to promote wider data sharing in discoverable, citeable and reusable forms, and to ensure that scientists get appropriate credit for sharing3. Scientific Data is a new peer-reviewed journal for descriptions of research datasets, which works with a wide of range of public data repositories4. Articles at Scientific Data may either expand on research publications at other journals or may be used to publish new datasets. The Nature Publishing Group has also signed the Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles5, and Scientific Data is our first journal to include formal data citations. We are currently in the process of adding data citation support to our various journals. 1 Wicherts, J. M., Borsboom, D., Kats, J. & Molenaar, D. The poor availability of psychological research data for reanalysis. Am. Psychol. 61, 726-728, doi:10.1037/0003-066x.61.7.726 (2006). 2 Vines, T. H. et al. Mandated data archiving greatly improves access to research data. FASEB J. 27, 1304-1308, doi:10.1096/fj.12-218164 (2013). 3 Data-access practices strengthened. Nature 515, 312, doi:10.1038/515312a (2014). 4 More bang for your byte. Sci. Data 1, 140010, doi:10.1038/sdata.2014.10 (2014). 5 Data Citation Synthesis Group: Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles. (FORCE11, San Diego, CA, 2014).

  8. Two new species of Parapharyngodon parasites of Sceloporus pyrocephalus, with a key to the species found in Mexico (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae).

    PubMed

    Garduño-Montes de Oca, Edgar Uriel; Mata-López, Rosario; León-Règagnon, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    Two new species of Parapharyngodon collected from the intestine of the Mexican boulder spiny lizard Sceloporus pyrocephalus are described. This study increases to 49 the number of valid species assigned to Parapharyngodon worldwide, 11 of them distributed in Mexico. Males of the two new species share the presence of four pairs of caudal papillae, an anterior echinate cloacal lip and the presence of lateral alae; however, both differ from each other in lateral alae extension and echinate cloacal anterior lip morphology. Females of both species have a prebulbar uterus and eggs shell punctuate with pores, characteristics shared with few other species of Parapharyngodon. Both new species differ from other congeneric species in the papillar arrangement, the anterior cloacal lip morphology, the lateral alae extension and total length/spicule ratio. A taxonomic key for the species of Parapharyngodon distributed in Mexico is provided.

  9. Abhava pratinidhi dravya: A comparative phytochemistry of Ativisha, Musta and related species

    PubMed Central

    Nagarajan, M.; Kuruvilla, Gina R.; Kumar, K. Subrahmanya; Venkatasubramanian, Padma

    2015-01-01

    Authentic Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum) is a rare, endangered Himalayan species. Ayurveda classical texts of c. 15th–16th century, introduced “abhava-pratinidhi dravya” concept, wherein Ativisha was categorized as an abhava dravya (unavailable drug) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus) was suggested as a pratinidhi dravya (substitute) for it. C. rotundus is a weed, abundantly available pan-India. Cryptocoryne spiralis (Naattu Athividayam) and Cyperus scariosus (Nagarmotha) are also traded as Ativisha and Musta, respectively. Yet, there are no scientific studies to validate the use of substitutes. A. heterophyllum bears no similarity in terms of botanical classification with the other candidates. This article reviews published literature with an emphasis to look for similar phytochemicals or groups of phytochemicals in the species that could contribute to similar pharmacological activities, thereby supporting the drug substitution from a bio-medical perspective. Alkaloids like atisine were found to be the main focus of studies on A. heterophyllum, whereas for the Cyperus spp., it was terpenoids like cyperene. Although alkaloids and terpenoids were reported from both species, alkaloids in C. rotundus and terpenoids in A. heterophyllum were minor constituents. Reports on phytochemicals on Cryptocoryne spiralis and C. scariosus were very limited. Despite no significant similarities in chemical profiles reported, the dravyaguna (Ayurvedic drug classification) of Ativisha and Musta was quite similar warranting further exploration into the bio-functional aspects of the drug materials. PMID:25878466

  10. Morphological and genetic evolution in eastern populations of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), with the descriptions of four new species.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Carter R; Mayden, Richard L; Powers, Steven L

    2017-03-30

    For many years the North American cyprinid fish Macrhybopsis aestivalis (common name: Speckled Chub) was regarded as a single widespread and morphologically variable species, occurring in rivers throughout much of the Mississippi Valley and geographically adjacent eastern Gulf slope drainages, west to the Rio Grande basin in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Eisenhour (1997) completed a morphological study of western populations of the Speckled Chub, the results of which appeared thereafter in published form (Eisenhour 1999, 2004). He demonstrated the existence of five valid species west of the Mississippi River (aestivalis, marconis, australis, tetranema, hyostoma), of which the name aestivalis was shown to be restricted to the population occurring in the Rio Grande and the geographically adjacent Rio San Fernando system, in northeastern Mexico. Eisenhour (2004) considered populations throughout the middle Mississippi Valley and its major tributaries to be a single morphologically variable species (hyostoma), and he also indicated that populations of Macrhybopsis from eastern Gulf slope drainages may represent a complex of species. Genetic confirmation of Eisenhour's conclusions regarding western species appeared in the publication by Underwood et al. (2003), who also showed that western populations of M. hyostoma, as presently recognized, are genetically much more complex than previously considered.     Meanwhile, the present authors were involved in a companion study of eastern populations of Macrhybopsis, for which a genetic summary of the eastern Gulf coast species was published by Mayden & Powers (2004). Based on their findings, four species were recognized from southeastern drainages (identified as species A-D), although no formal taxonomic descriptions were included. Their genetic data, in combination with meristic, morphometric and other morphological data presented herein, form the basis for a revised classification of eastern Macrhybopsis populations

  11. Assessing Species Boundaries Using Multilocus Species Delimitation in a Morphologically Conserved Group of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes, the Poecilia sphenops Species Complex (Poeciliidae)

    PubMed Central

    Bagley, Justin C.; Alda, Fernando; Breitman, M. Florencia; Bermingham, Eldredge; van den Berghe, Eric P.; Johnson, Jerald B.

    2015-01-01

    Accurately delimiting species is fundamentally important for understanding species diversity and distributions and devising effective strategies to conserve biodiversity. However, species delimitation is problematic in many taxa, including ‘non-adaptive radiations’ containing morphologically cryptic lineages. Fortunately, coalescent-based species delimitation methods hold promise for objectively estimating species limits in such radiations, using multilocus genetic data. Using coalescent-based approaches, we delimit species and infer evolutionary relationships in a morphologically conserved group of Central American freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple genetic markers (sequences of two mitochondrial DNA genes and five nuclear loci) from 10/15 species and genetic lineages recognized in the group support the P. sphenops species complex as monophyletic with respect to outgroups, with eight mitochondrial ‘major-lineages’ diverged by ≥2% pairwise genetic distances. From general mixed Yule-coalescent models, we discovered (conservatively) 10 species within our concatenated mitochondrial DNA dataset, 9 of which were strongly supported by subsequent multilocus Bayesian species delimitation and species tree analyses. Results suggested species-level diversity is underestimated or overestimated by at least ~15% in different lineages in the complex. Nonparametric statistics and coalescent simulations indicate genealogical discordance among our gene tree results has mainly derived from interspecific hybridization in the nuclear genome. However, mitochondrial DNA show little evidence for introgression, and our species delimitation results appear robust to effects of this process. Overall, our findings support the utility of combining multiple lines of genetic evidence and broad phylogeographical sampling to discover and validate species using coalescent-based methods. Our study also highlights the importance of

  12. Assessing species boundaries using multilocus species delimitation in a morphologically conserved group of neotropical freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex (Poeciliidae).

    PubMed

    Bagley, Justin C; Alda, Fernando; Breitman, M Florencia; Bermingham, Eldredge; van den Berghe, Eric P; Johnson, Jerald B

    2015-01-01

    Accurately delimiting species is fundamentally important for understanding species diversity and distributions and devising effective strategies to conserve biodiversity. However, species delimitation is problematic in many taxa, including 'non-adaptive radiations' containing morphologically cryptic lineages. Fortunately, coalescent-based species delimitation methods hold promise for objectively estimating species limits in such radiations, using multilocus genetic data. Using coalescent-based approaches, we delimit species and infer evolutionary relationships in a morphologically conserved group of Central American freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple genetic markers (sequences of two mitochondrial DNA genes and five nuclear loci) from 10/15 species and genetic lineages recognized in the group support the P. sphenops species complex as monophyletic with respect to outgroups, with eight mitochondrial 'major-lineages' diverged by ≥2% pairwise genetic distances. From general mixed Yule-coalescent models, we discovered (conservatively) 10 species within our concatenated mitochondrial DNA dataset, 9 of which were strongly supported by subsequent multilocus Bayesian species delimitation and species tree analyses. Results suggested species-level diversity is underestimated or overestimated by at least ~15% in different lineages in the complex. Nonparametric statistics and coalescent simulations indicate genealogical discordance among our gene tree results has mainly derived from interspecific hybridization in the nuclear genome. However, mitochondrial DNA show little evidence for introgression, and our species delimitation results appear robust to effects of this process. Overall, our findings support the utility of combining multiple lines of genetic evidence and broad phylogeographical sampling to discover and validate species using coalescent-based methods. Our study also highlights the importance of testing for

  13. Elaphomyces species (Elasphomycetaceae, Eurotiales) from Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA

    Treesearch

    Michael A. Castellano; Ryan B. Stephens

    2017-01-01

    We describe five new species of Elaphomyces from Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA (E. americanus, E. bartlettii, E. macrosporus, E. oreoides, and E. remickii) and revise the description of a sixth previously published species (E. verruculosus). Of the five new species,...

  14. Species climate range influences hydraulic and stomatal traits in Eucalyptus species.

    PubMed

    Bourne, Aimee E; Creek, Danielle; Peters, Jennifer M R; Ellsworth, David S; Choat, Brendan

    2017-07-01

    Plant hydraulic traits influence the capacity of species to grow and survive in water-limited environments, but their comparative study at a common site has been limited. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether selective pressures on species originating in drought-prone environments constrain hydraulic traits among related species grown under common conditions. Leaf tissue water relations, xylem anatomy, stomatal behaviour and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism were measured on six Eucalyptus species growing in a common garden to determine whether these traits were related to current species climate range and to understand linkages between the traits. Hydraulically weighted xylem vessel diameter, leaf turgor loss point, the water potential at stomatal closure and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism were significantly ( P < 0·05) correlated with climate parameters from the species range. There was a co-ordination between stem and leaf parameters with the water potential at turgor loss, 12 % loss of conductivity and the point of stomatal closure significantly correlated. The correlation of hydraulic, stomatal and anatomical traits with climate variables from the species' original ranges suggests that these traits are genetically constrained. The conservative nature of xylem traits in Eucalyptus trees has important implications for the limits of species responses to changing environmental conditions and thus for species survival and distribution into the future, and yields new information for physiological models. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

  15. Ecological Validity Revisited: A 10-Year Comparison of Two Journals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Jerry; Gaylord-Ross, Robert

    1991-01-01

    This study examined 40 articles published in the "American Journal on Mental Retardation" or the "Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps" (JASH) from 1976-78 and 1986-88. Both journals published low numbers of articles with ecological validity in the late 1970s, but JASH subsequently increased…

  16. No longer a circumtropical species: revision of the lizardfishes in the Trachinocephalus myops species complex, with description of a new species from the Marquesas Islands.

    PubMed

    Polanco F, A; Acero P, A; Betancur-R, R

    2016-08-01

    Trachinocephalus, a formerly monotypic and nearly circumtropical genus of lizardfishes, is split into three valid species. Trachinocephalus gauguini n. sp. is described from the Marquesas Islands and is distinguished from the two other species in the genus by having a shorter snout, a narrower interorbital space, larger eye and modally fewer anal-fin and pectoral-fin rays. The distribution of Trachinocephalus myops (type species) is restricted to the Atlantic Ocean and the name Trachinocephalus trachinus is resurrected for populations from the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. Principal component analyses and bivariate plots based on the morphometric data differentiated T. gauguini from the other two species, but a substantial overlap between T. myops and T. trachinus exists. Phylogenetic evidence based on mtDNA COI sequences unambiguously supports the recognition of at least three species in Trachinocephalus, revealing deep divergences between the Atlantic Ocean, Indo-West Pacific Ocean and Marquesas entities. Additional analyses of species delimitations using the generalized mixed Yule coalescent model and the Poisson tree processes model provide a more liberal assessment of species in Trachinocephalus, indicating that many more cryptic species may exist. Finally, a taxonomic key to identify the three species recognized here is provided. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  17. Computation of iodine species concentrations in water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schultz, John R.; Mudgett, Paul D.; Flanagan, David T.; Sauer, Richard L.

    1994-01-01

    During an evaluation of the use of iodine as a water disinfectant and the development of methods for measuring various iodine species in water onboard Space Freedom, it became necessary to compute the concentration of the various species based on equilibrium principles alone. Of particular concern was the case when various amounts of iodine, iodide, strong acid, and strong base are added to water. Such solutions can be used to evaluate the performance of various monitoring methods being considered. The authors of this paper present an overview of aqueous iodine chemistry, a set of nonlinear equations which can be used to model the above case, and a computer program for solving this system of equations using the Newton-Raphson method. The program was validated by comparing results over a range of concentrations and pH values with those previously presented by Gottardi for a given pH. Use of this program indicated that there are multiple roots to many cases and selecting an appropriate initial guess is important. Comparison of program results with laboratory results for the case when only iodine is added to water indicates the program gives high pH values for the iodine concentrations normally used for water disinfection. Extending the model to include the effects of iodate formation results in the computer pH values being closer to those observed, but the model with iodate does not agree well for the case in which base is added in addition to iodine to raise the pH. Potential explanations include failure to obtain equilibrium conditions in the lab, inaccuracies in published values for the equilibrium constants, and inadequate model of iodine chemistry and/or the lack of adequate analytical methods for measuring the various iodine species in water.

  18. MagCloud: magazine self-publishing for the long tail

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koh, Kok-Wei; Chatow, Ehud

    2010-02-01

    In June of 2008, Hewlett-Packard Labs launched MagCloud, a print-on-demand web service for magazine selfpublishing. MagCloud enables anyone to publish their own magazine by simply uploading a PDF file to the site. There are no setup fees, minimum print runs, storage requirements or waste due to unsold magazines. Magazines are only printed when an order is placed, and are shipped directly to the end customer. In the course of building this web service, a number of technological challenges were encountered. In this paper, we will discuss these challenges and the methods used to overcome them. Perhaps the most important decision in enabling the successful launch of MagCloud was the choice to offer a single product. This simplified the PDF validation phase and streamlined the print fulfillment process such that orders can be printed, folded and trimmed in batches, rather than one-by-one. In a sense, MagCloud adopted the Ford Model T approach to manufacturing, where having just a single model with little or no options allows for efficiencies in the production line, enabling a lower product price and opening the market to a much larger customer base. This platform has resulted in a number of new niche publications - the long tail of publishing.

  19. Publishing a Simulation Game.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gohring, Ralph J.

    1979-01-01

    A case study describing the process involved in publishing a personally developed simulation game including finding a publisher, obtaining a copyright, negotiating the contract, controlling front-end costs, marketing the product, and receiving feedback from users. (CMV)

  20. Sympatric bromeliad species (Pitcairnia spp.) facilitate tests of mechanisms involved in species cohesion and reproductive isolation in Neotropical inselbergs.

    PubMed

    Palma-Silva, C; Wendt, T; Pinheiro, F; Barbará, T; Fay, Michael F; Cozzolino, S; Lexer, C

    2011-08-01

    The roles of intra- and interspecific gene flow in speciation and species evolution are topics of great current interest in molecular ecology and evolutionary biology. Recent modelling studies call for new empirical data to test hypotheses arising from the recent shift from a 'whole-genome reproductive isolation' view to a 'genic' view of species and speciation. Particularly scarce (and thus of particular interest) are molecular genetic data on recently radiated, naturally hybridizing species in strongly structured and species-rich environments. Here, we studied four sympatric plant species (Pitcairnia spp.; Bromeliaceae) adapted to Neotropical inselbergs (isolated outcrops resembling habitat 'islands' in tropical rainforests) using nuclear and plastid DNA. Patterns of plastid DNA haplotype sharing and nuclear genomic admixture suggest the presence of both, incomplete lineage sorting and interspecific gene flow over extended periods of time. Integrity and cohesion of inselberg species of Pitcairnia are maintained despite introgression and in the face of extremely low within-species migration rates (N(e)m < 1 migrant per generation). Cross-evaluation of our genetic data against published pollination experiments indicate that species integrity is maintained by the simultaneous action of multiple prezygotic barriers, including flowering phenology, pollinator isolation and divergent mating systems. Postzygotic Bateson-Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities appear to contribute to isolation, as suggested by asymmetric introgression rates of single loci. Our results suggest that incomplete lineage sorting, hybridization and introgression form integral aspects of adaptive radiation in Neotropical inselberg 'archipelagos'. Inselbergs with multiple closely related co-occurring species should be of special interest to students of speciation in mountain systems, and to ongoing conservation programmes in the Atlantic Rainforest biodiversity hotspot. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing

  1. The centipede genus Eupolybothrus Verhoeff, 1907 (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha: Lithobiidae) in North Africa, a cybertaxonomic revision, with a key to all species in the genus and the first use of DNA barcoding for the group

    PubMed Central

    Stoev, Pavel; Akkari, Nesrine; Zapparoli, Marzio; Porco, David; Enghoff, Henrik; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Georgiev, Teodor; Penev, Lyubomir

    2010-01-01

    Abstract The centipede genus Eupolybothrus Verhoeff, 1907 in North Africa is revised. A new cavernicolous species, Eupolybothrus kahfi Stoev & Akkari, sp. n., is described from a cave in Jebel Zaghouan, northeast Tunisia. Morphologically, it is most closely related to Eupolybothrus nudicornis (Gervais, 1837) from North Africa and Southwest Europe but can be readily distinguished by the long antennae and leg-pair 15, a conical dorso-median protuberance emerging from the posterior part of prefemur 15, and the shape of the male first genital sternite. Molecular sequence data from the cytochrome c oxidase I gene (mtDNA–5’ COI-barcoding fragment) exhibit 19.19% divergence between Eupolybothrus kahfi and Eupolybothrus nudicornis, an interspecific value comparable to those observed among four other species of Eupolybothrus which, combined with a low intraspecific divergence (0.3–1.14%), supports the morphological diagnosis of Eupolybothrus kahfi as a separate species. This is the first troglomorphic myriapod to be found in Tunisia, and the second troglomorph lithobiomorph centipede known from North Africa. Eupolybothrus nudicornis is redescribed based on abundant material from Tunisia and its post-embryonic development, distribution and habitat preferences recorded. Eupolybothrus cloudsley-thompsoni Turk, 1955, a nominal species based on Tunisian type material, is placed in synonymy with Eupolybothrus nudicornis. To comply with the latest technological developments in publishing of biological information, the paper implements new approaches in cybertaxonomy, such as fine granularity XML tagging validated against the NLM DTD TaxPub for PubMedCentral and dissemination in XML to various aggregators (GBIF, EOL, Wikipedia), vizualisation of all taxa mentioned in the text via the dynamically created Pensoft Taxon Profile (PTP) page, data publishing, georeferencing of all localities via Google Earth, and ZooBank, GenBank and MorphBank registration of datasets. An

  2. 7 CFR 355.22 - Validation of documentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Validation of documentation. 355.22 Section 355.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENDANGERED SPECIES REGULATIONS CONCERNING TERRESTRIAL PLANTS...

  3. 7 CFR 355.22 - Validation of documentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Validation of documentation. 355.22 Section 355.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENDANGERED SPECIES REGULATIONS CONCERNING TERRESTRIAL PLANTS...

  4. 7 CFR 355.22 - Validation of documentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Validation of documentation. 355.22 Section 355.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENDANGERED SPECIES REGULATIONS CONCERNING TERRESTRIAL PLANTS...

  5. 7 CFR 355.22 - Validation of documentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Validation of documentation. 355.22 Section 355.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENDANGERED SPECIES REGULATIONS CONCERNING TERRESTRIAL PLANTS...

  6. 7 CFR 355.22 - Validation of documentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Validation of documentation. 355.22 Section 355.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENDANGERED SPECIES REGULATIONS CONCERNING TERRESTRIAL PLANTS...

  7. Electronic Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lancaster, F. W.

    1989-01-01

    Describes various stages involved in the applications of electronic media to the publishing industry. Highlights include computer typesetting, or photocomposition; machine-readable databases; the distribution of publications in electronic form; computer conferencing and electronic mail; collaborative authorship; hypertext; hypermedia publications;…

  8. Publisher: professional or profiteer?

    PubMed Central

    Snyder, W A

    1980-01-01

    This article discusses the general economics of journal and monograph publishing. The costs related to acquisition, production, marketing, and distribution of journals and monographs are analyzed by considering "typical" cost elements borne by all scientific and medical publishers. PMID:7362922

  9. What to Do With "Moderate" Reliability and Validity Coefficients?

    PubMed

    Post, Marcel W

    2016-07-01

    Clinimetric studies may use criteria for test-retest reliability and convergent validity such that correlation coefficients as low as .40 are supportive of reliability and validity. It can be argued that moderate (.40-.60) correlations should not be interpreted in this way and that reliability coefficients <.70 should be considered as indicative of unreliability. Convergent validity coefficients in the .40 to .60 or .40 to .70 range should be considered as indications of validity problems, or as inconclusive at best. Studies on reliability and convergent should be designed in such a way that it is realistic to expect high reliability and validity coefficients. Multitrait multimethod approaches are preferred to study construct (convergent-divergent) validity. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Beware of external validation! - A Comparative Study of Several Validation Techniques used in QSAR Modelling.

    PubMed

    Majumdar, Subhabrata; Basak, Subhash C

    2018-04-26

    Proper validation is an important aspect of QSAR modelling. External validation is one of the widely used validation methods in QSAR where the model is built on a subset of the data and validated on the rest of the samples. However, its effectiveness for datasets with a small number of samples but large number of predictors remains suspect. Calculating hundreds or thousands of molecular descriptors using currently available software has become the norm in QSAR research, owing to computational advances in the past few decades. Thus, for n chemical compounds and p descriptors calculated for each molecule, the typical chemometric dataset today has high value of p but small n (i.e. n < p). Motivated by the evidence of inadequacies of external validation in estimating the true predictive capability of a statistical model in recent literature, this paper performs an extensive and comparative study of this method with several other validation techniques. We compared four validation methods: leave-one-out, K-fold, external and multi-split validation, using statistical models built using the LASSO regression, which simultaneously performs variable selection and modelling. We used 300 simulated datasets and one real dataset of 95 congeneric amine mutagens for this evaluation. External validation metrics have high variation among different random splits of the data, hence are not recommended for predictive QSAR models. LOO has the overall best performance among all validation methods applied in our scenario. Results from external validation are too unstable for the datasets we analyzed. Based on our findings, we recommend using the LOO procedure for validating QSAR predictive models built on high-dimensional small-sample data. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  11. Two new species of Parapharyngodon parasites of Sceloporus pyrocephalus, with a key to the species found in Mexico (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae)

    PubMed Central

    Garduño-Montes de Oca, Edgar Uriel; Mata-López, Rosario; León-Règagnon, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Two new species of Parapharyngodon collected from the intestine of the Mexican boulder spiny lizard Sceloporus pyrocephalus are described. This study increases to 49 the number of valid species assigned to Parapharyngodon worldwide, 11 of them distributed in Mexico. Males of the two new species share the presence of four pairs of caudal papillae, an anterior echinate cloacal lip and the presence of lateral alae; however, both differ from each other in lateral alae extension and echinate cloacal anterior lip morphology. Females of both species have a prebulbar uterus and eggs shell punctuate with pores, characteristics shared with few other species of Parapharyngodon. Both new species differ from other congeneric species in the papillar arrangement, the anterior cloacal lip morphology, the lateral alae extension and total length/spicule ratio. A taxonomic key for the species of Parapharyngodon distributed in Mexico is provided. PMID:27006602

  12. Body fluid analysis: clinical utility and applicability of published studies to guide interpretation of today's laboratory testing in serous fluids.

    PubMed

    Block, Darci R; Algeciras-Schimnich, Alicia

    2013-01-01

    Requests for testing various analytes in serous fluids (e.g., pleural, peritoneal, pericardial effusions) are submitted daily to clinical laboratories. Testing of these fluids deviates from assay manufacturers' specifications, as most laboratory assays are optimized for testing blood or urine specimens. These requests add a burden to clinical laboratories, which need to validate assay performance characteristics in these fluids to exclude matrix interferences (given the different composition of body fluids) while maintaining regulatory compliance. Body fluid testing for a number of analytes has been reported in the literature; however, understanding the clinical utility of these analytes is critical because laboratories must address the analytic and clinical validation requirements, while educating clinicians on proper test utilization. In this article, we review the published data to evaluate the clinical utility of testing for numerous analytes in body fluid specimens. We also highlight the pre-analytic and analytic variables that need to be considered when reviewing published studies in body fluid testing. Finally, we provide guidance on how published studies might (or might not) guide interpretation of test results in today's clinical laboratories.

  13. A pan-European ring trial to validate an International Standard for detection of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in seafoods.

    PubMed

    Hartnell, R E; Stockley, L; Keay, W; Rosec, J-P; Hervio-Heath, D; Van den Berg, H; Leoni, F; Ottaviani, D; Henigman, U; Denayer, S; Serbruyns, B; Georgsson, F; Krumova-Valcheva, G; Gyurova, E; Blanco, C; Copin, S; Strauch, E; Wieczorek, K; Lopatek, M; Britova, A; Hardouin, G; Lombard, B; In't Veld, P; Leclercq, A; Baker-Austin, C

    2018-02-10

    Globally, vibrios represent an important and well-established group of bacterial foodborne pathogens. The European Commission (EC) mandated the Comite de European Normalisation (CEN) to undertake work to provide validation data for 15 methods in microbiology to support EC legislation. As part of this mandated work programme, merging of ISO/TS 21872-1:2007, which specifies a horizontal method for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae, and ISO/TS 21872-2:2007, a similar horizontal method for the detection of potentially pathogenic vibrios other than V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus was proposed. Both parts of ISO/TS 21872 utilized classical culture-based isolation techniques coupled with biochemical confirmation steps. The work also considered simplification of the biochemical confirmation steps. In addition, because of advances in molecular based methods for identification of human pathogenic Vibrio spp. classical and real-time PCR options were also included within the scope of the validation. These considerations formed the basis of a multi-laboratory validation study with the aim of improving the precision of this ISO technical specification and providing a single ISO standard method to enable detection of these important foodborne Vibrio spp.. To achieve this aim, an international validation study involving 13 laboratories from 9 countries in Europe was conducted in 2013. The results of this validation have enabled integration of the two existing technical specifications targeting the detection of the major foodborne Vibrio spp., simplification of the suite of recommended biochemical identification tests and the introduction of molecular procedures that provide both species level identification and discrimination of putatively pathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus by the determination of the presence of theromostable direct and direct related haemolysins. The method performance characteristics generated in this have been included in revised

  14. Face validity, construct validity and training benefits of a virtual reality TURP simulator.

    PubMed

    Bright, Elizabeth; Vine, Samuel; Wilson, Mark R; Masters, Rich S W; McGrath, John S

    2012-01-01

    To assess face validity, construct validity and the training benefits of a virtual reality TURP simulator. 11 novices (no TURP experience) and 7 experts (>200 TURP's) completed a virtual reality median lobe prostate resection task on the TURPsim™ (Simbionix USA Corp., Cleveland, OH). Performance indicators (percentage of prostate resected (PR), percentage of capsular resection (CR) and time diathermy loop active without tissue contact (TAWC) were recorded via the TURPsim™ and compared between novices and experts to assess construct validity. Verbal comments provided by experts following task completion were used to assess face validity. Repeated attempts of the task by the novices were analysed to assess the training benefits of the TURPsim™. Experts resected a significantly greater percentage of prostate per minute (p < 0.01) and had significantly less active diathermy time without tissue contact (p < 0.01) than novices. After practice, novices were able to perform the simulation more effectively, with significant improvement in all measured parameters. Improvement in performance was noted in novices following repetitive training, as evidenced by improved TAWC scores that were not significantly different from the expert group (p = 0.18). This study has established face and construct validity for the TURPsim™. The potential benefit in using this tool to train novices has also been demonstrated. Copyright © 2012 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Dear Publisher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chelton, Mary K.

    1992-01-01

    Addresses issues that concern the relationship between publishers and librarians, including differences between libraries and bookstores; necessary information for advertisements; out-of-stock designations and their effect on budgets; the role of distributors and vendors; direct mail for book promotions; unsolicited review copies; communications…

  16. DataTri, a database of American triatomine species occurrence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ceccarelli, Soledad; Balsalobre, Agustín; Medone, Paula; Cano, María Eugenia; Gurgel Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Feliciangeli, Dora; Vezzani, Darío; Wisnivesky-Colli, Cristina; Gorla, David E.; Marti, Gerardo A.; Rabinovich, Jorge E.

    2018-04-01

    Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted to mammals - including humans - by insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae. We present the results of a compilation of triatomine occurrence and complementary ecological data that represents the most complete, integrated and updated database (DataTri) available on triatomine species at a continental scale. This database was assembled by collecting the records of triatomine species published from 1904 to 2017, spanning all American countries with triatomine presence. A total of 21815 georeferenced records were obtained from published literature, personal fieldwork and data provided by colleagues. The data compiled includes 24 American countries, 14 genera and 135 species. From a taxonomic perspective, 67.33% of the records correspond to the genus Triatoma, 20.81% to Panstrongylus, 9.01% to Rhodnius and the remaining 2.85% are distributed among the other 11 triatomine genera. We encourage using DataTri information in various areas, especially to improve knowledge of the geographical distribution of triatomine species and its variations in time.

  17. DataTri, a database of American triatomine species occurrence.

    PubMed

    Ceccarelli, Soledad; Balsalobre, Agustín; Medone, Paula; Cano, María Eugenia; Gurgel Gonçalves, Rodrigo; Feliciangeli, Dora; Vezzani, Darío; Wisnivesky-Colli, Cristina; Gorla, David E; Marti, Gerardo A; Rabinovich, Jorge E

    2018-04-24

    Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted to mammals - including humans - by insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae. We present the results of a compilation of triatomine occurrence and complementary ecological data that represents the most complete, integrated and updated database (DataTri) available on triatomine species at a continental scale. This database was assembled by collecting the records of triatomine species published from 1904 to 2017, spanning all American countries with triatomine presence. A total of 21815 georeferenced records were obtained from published literature, personal fieldwork and data provided by colleagues. The data compiled includes 24 American countries, 14 genera and 135 species. From a taxonomic perspective, 67.33% of the records correspond to the genus Triatoma, 20.81% to Panstrongylus, 9.01% to Rhodnius and the remaining 2.85% are distributed among the other 11 triatomine genera. We encourage using DataTri information in various areas, especially to improve knowledge of the geographical distribution of triatomine species and its variations in time.

  18. EPIC: Electronic Publishing is Cheaper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regier, Willis G.

    Advocates of inexpensive publishing confront a widespread complaint that there is already an overproduction of scholarship that electronic publishing will make worse. The costs of electronic publishing correlate to a clutch of choices: speeds of access, breadth and depth of content, visibility, flexibility, durability, dependability, definition of…

  19. Desktop Publishing for Counselors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucking, Robert; Mitchum, Nancy

    1990-01-01

    Discusses the fundamentals of desktop publishing for counselors, including hardware and software systems and peripherals. Notes by using desktop publishing, counselors can produce their own high-quality documents without the expense of commercial printers. Concludes computers present a way of streamlining the communications of a counseling…

  20. Academic nightmares: Predatory publishing.

    PubMed

    Van Nuland, Sonya E; Rogers, Kem A

    2017-07-01

    Academic researchers who seek to publish their work are confronted daily with a barrage of e-mails from aggressive marketing campaigns that solicit them to publish their research with a specialized, often newly launched, journal. Known as predatory journals, they often promise high editorial and publishing standards, yet their exploitive business models, poor quality control, and minimal overall transparency victimize those researchers with limited academic experience and pave the way for low-quality articles that threaten the foundation of evidence-based research. Understanding how to identify these predatory journals requires thorough due diligence on the part of the submitting authors, and a commitment by reputable publishers, institutions, and researchers to publicly identify these predators and eliminate them as a threat to the careers of young scientists seeking to disseminate their work in scholarly journals. Anat Sci Educ 10: 392-394. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  1. Incorporating Context Dependency of Species Interactions in Species Distribution Models.

    PubMed

    Lany, Nina K; Zarnetske, Phoebe L; Gouhier, Tarik C; Menge, Bruce A

    2017-07-01

    Species distribution models typically use correlative approaches that characterize the species-environment relationship using occurrence or abundance data for a single species. However, species distributions are determined by both abiotic conditions and biotic interactions with other species in the community. Therefore, climate change is expected to impact species through direct effects on their physiology and indirect effects propagated through their resources, predators, competitors, or mutualists. Furthermore, the sign and strength of species interactions can change according to abiotic conditions, resulting in context-dependent species interactions that may change across space or with climate change. Here, we incorporated the context dependency of species interactions into a dynamic species distribution model. We developed a multi-species model that uses a time-series of observational survey data to evaluate how abiotic conditions and species interactions affect the dynamics of three rocky intertidal species. The model further distinguishes between the direct effects of abiotic conditions on abundance and the indirect effects propagated through interactions with other species. We apply the model to keystone predation by the sea star Pisaster ochraceus on the mussel Mytilus californianus and the barnacle Balanus glandula in the rocky intertidal zone of the Pacific coast, USA. Our method indicated that biotic interactions between P. ochraceus and B. glandula affected B. glandula dynamics across >1000 km of coastline. Consistent with patterns from keystone predation, the growth rate of B. glandula varied according to the abundance of P. ochraceus in the previous year. The data and the model did not indicate that the strength of keystone predation by P. ochraceus varied with a mean annual upwelling index. Balanus glandula cover increased following years with high phytoplankton abundance measured as mean annual chlorophyll-a. M. californianus exhibited the same

  2. Standardization of a two-step real-time polymerase chain reaction based method for species-specific detection of medically important Aspergillus species.

    PubMed

    Das, P; Pandey, P; Harishankar, A; Chandy, M; Bhattacharya, S; Chakrabarti, A

    2017-01-01

    Standardization of Aspergillus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) poses two technical challenges (a) standardization of DNA extraction, (b) optimization of PCR against various medically important Aspergillus species. Many cases of aspergillosis go undiagnosed because of relative insensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods such as microscopy, culture or antigen detection. The present study is an attempt to standardize real-time PCR assay for rapid sensitive and specific detection of Aspergillus DNA in EDTA whole blood. Three nucleic acid extraction protocols were compared and a two-step real-time PCR assay was developed and validated following the recommendations of the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative in our setup. In the first PCR step (pan-Aspergillus PCR), the target was 28S rDNA gene, whereas in the second step, species specific PCR the targets were beta-tubulin (for Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus), gene and calmodulin gene (for Aspergillus niger). Species specific identification of four medically important Aspergillus species, namely, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. terreus were achieved by this PCR. Specificity of the PCR was tested against 34 different DNA source including bacteria, virus, yeast, other Aspergillus sp., other fungal species and for human DNA and had no false-positive reactions. The analytical sensitivity of the PCR was found to be 102 CFU/ml. The present protocol of two-step real-time PCR assays for genus- and species-specific identification for commonly isolated species in whole blood for diagnosis of invasive Aspergillus infections offers a rapid, sensitive and specific assay option and requires clinical validation at multiple centers.

  3. Self-Publishing Indigenous Language Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    St. Clair, Robert N.; Busch, John; Webb, B. Joanne

    Indigenous language programs that have a literacy component require reading materials. Recent advances in computer technology and certain legal changes in the publishing industry have made self-publishing such materials an easier task. This paper describes some of the steps necessary to self-publish indigenous language materials. Suggestions are…

  4. Caveats for correlative species distribution modeling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Kumar, Sunil; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Holcombe, Tracy R.

    2015-01-01

    Correlative species distribution models are becoming commonplace in the scientific literature and public outreach products, displaying locations, abundance, or suitable environmental conditions for harmful invasive species, threatened and endangered species, or species of special concern. Accurate species distribution models are useful for efficient and adaptive management and conservation, research, and ecological forecasting. Yet, these models are often presented without fully examining or explaining the caveats for their proper use and interpretation and are often implemented without understanding the limitations and assumptions of the model being used. We describe common pitfalls, assumptions, and caveats of correlative species distribution models to help novice users and end users better interpret these models. Four primary caveats corresponding to different phases of the modeling process, each with supporting documentation and examples, include: (1) all sampling data are incomplete and potentially biased; (2) predictor variables must capture distribution constraints; (3) no single model works best for all species, in all areas, at all spatial scales, and over time; and (4) the results of species distribution models should be treated like a hypothesis to be tested and validated with additional sampling and modeling in an iterative process.

  5. Identification and Validation of Reference Genes and Their Impact on Normalized Gene Expression Studies across Cultivated and Wild Cicer Species

    PubMed Central

    Reddy, Palakolanu Sudhakar; Sri Cindhuri, Katamreddy; Sivaji Ganesh, Adusumalli; Sharma, Kiran Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) is a preferred and reliable method for accurate quantification of gene expression to understand precise gene functions. A total of 25 candidate reference genes including traditional and new generation reference genes were selected and evaluated in a diverse set of chickpea samples. The samples used in this study included nine chickpea genotypes (Cicer spp.) comprising of cultivated and wild species, six abiotic stress treatments (drought, salinity, high vapor pressure deficit, abscisic acid, cold and heat shock), and five diverse tissues (leaf, root, flower, seedlings and seed). The geNorm, NormFinder and RefFinder algorithms used to identify stably expressed genes in four sample sets revealed stable expression of UCP and G6PD genes across genotypes, while TIP41 and CAC were highly stable under abiotic stress conditions. While PP2A and ABCT genes were ranked as best for different tissues, ABCT, UCP and CAC were most stable across all samples. This study demonstrated the usefulness of new generation reference genes for more accurate qPCR based gene expression quantification in cultivated as well as wild chickpea species. Validation of the best reference genes was carried out by studying their impact on normalization of aquaporin genes PIP1;4 and TIP3;1, in three contrasting chickpea genotypes under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) treatment. The chickpea TIP3;1 gene got significantly up regulated under high VPD conditions with higher relative expression in the drought susceptible genotype, confirming the suitability of the selected reference genes for expression analysis. This is the first comprehensive study on the stability of the new generation reference genes for qPCR studies in chickpea across species, different tissues and abiotic stresses. PMID:26863232

  6. Identification and Validation of Reference Genes and Their Impact on Normalized Gene Expression Studies across Cultivated and Wild Cicer Species.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Dumbala Srinivas; Bhatnagar-Mathur, Pooja; Reddy, Palakolanu Sudhakar; Sri Cindhuri, Katamreddy; Sivaji Ganesh, Adusumalli; Sharma, Kiran Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) is a preferred and reliable method for accurate quantification of gene expression to understand precise gene functions. A total of 25 candidate reference genes including traditional and new generation reference genes were selected and evaluated in a diverse set of chickpea samples. The samples used in this study included nine chickpea genotypes (Cicer spp.) comprising of cultivated and wild species, six abiotic stress treatments (drought, salinity, high vapor pressure deficit, abscisic acid, cold and heat shock), and five diverse tissues (leaf, root, flower, seedlings and seed). The geNorm, NormFinder and RefFinder algorithms used to identify stably expressed genes in four sample sets revealed stable expression of UCP and G6PD genes across genotypes, while TIP41 and CAC were highly stable under abiotic stress conditions. While PP2A and ABCT genes were ranked as best for different tissues, ABCT, UCP and CAC were most stable across all samples. This study demonstrated the usefulness of new generation reference genes for more accurate qPCR based gene expression quantification in cultivated as well as wild chickpea species. Validation of the best reference genes was carried out by studying their impact on normalization of aquaporin genes PIP1;4 and TIP3;1, in three contrasting chickpea genotypes under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) treatment. The chickpea TIP3;1 gene got significantly up regulated under high VPD conditions with higher relative expression in the drought susceptible genotype, confirming the suitability of the selected reference genes for expression analysis. This is the first comprehensive study on the stability of the new generation reference genes for qPCR studies in chickpea across species, different tissues and abiotic stresses.

  7. Addressing Participant Validity in a Small Internet Health Survey (The Restore Study): Protocol and Recommendations for Survey Response Validation

    PubMed Central

    Dewitt, James; Capistrant, Benjamin; Kohli, Nidhi; Mitteldorf, Darryl; Merengwa, Enyinnaya; West, William

    2018-01-01

    Background While deduplication and cross-validation protocols have been recommended for large Web-based studies, protocols for survey response validation of smaller studies have not been published. Objective This paper reports the challenges of survey validation inherent in a small Web-based health survey research. Methods The subject population was North American, gay and bisexual, prostate cancer survivors, who represent an under-researched, hidden, difficult-to-recruit, minority-within-a-minority population. In 2015-2016, advertising on a large Web-based cancer survivor support network, using email and social media, yielded 478 completed surveys. Results Our manual deduplication and cross-validation protocol identified 289 survey submissions (289/478, 60.4%) as likely spam, most stemming from advertising on social media. The basic components of this deduplication and validation protocol are detailed. An unexpected challenge encountered was invalid survey responses evolving across the study period. This necessitated the static detection protocol be augmented with a dynamic one. Conclusions Five recommendations for validation of Web-based samples, especially with smaller difficult-to-recruit populations, are detailed. PMID:29691203

  8. Novel Species of Non-Spore-Forming Bacteria

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Briegel, Ariane; Osman, Shariff; Moissl, Christine; Hosoya,Naofumi; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri; Satomi, Masataka; Mayilraj, Shanmugam

    2008-01-01

    While cataloging cultivatable microbes from the airborne biological diversity of the atmosphere of the Regenerative Enclosed life-support Module Simulator (REMS) system at Marshall Space Flight Center, two strains that belong to one novel bacterial species were isolated. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the unique morphology and the taxonomic characteristics of these strains, it is shown that they belong to the family Intrasporangiaceae, related to the genus Tetrasphaera, with phylogenetic distances from any validly described species of the genus Tetrasphaera ranging from 96.71 to 97.76 percent. The fatty acid profile supported the affiliation of these novel strains to the genus Tetrasphaera except for the presence of higher concentrations of octadecenoic acid (C18:0) and cis-9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1), which discriminates these strains from other valid species. In addition, DNA-DNA hybridization studies indicate that these strains belong to a novel species that could be readily distinguished from its nearest neighbor, Tetrasphaera japonica AMC 5116T, with less than 20 percent DNA relatedness. Physiological and biochemical tests show few phenotypic dissimilarities, but genotypic analysis allowed the differentiation of these gelatin-liquefying strains from previously reported strains. The name Tetrasphaera remsis sp. Nov. is proposed with the type strain 3-M5-R-4(sup T) (=ATCC BAA-1496(sup T)=CIP 109413(sup T). The cells are Gram-positive, nonmotile, cocci, in tetrad arrangement and clusters. Spore formation is not observed. No species of Tetrashpaera has ever been isolated from airborne samples. Previous discoveries have come from soil and activated sludge samples. As other species of this genus have demonstrated enhanced biological phosphorus removal activity, further tests are required to determine if this newly discovered species would have bioremediation applications.

  9. Writing and Publishing Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, William F., Ed.

    Intended to provide guidance in academic publishing to faculty members, especially younger faculty members, this handbook is a compilation of four previously published essays by different authors. Following a preface and an introduction, the four essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "One Writer's Secrets" (Donald M. Murray); (2)…

  10. New Technologies in Academic Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waller, Robert; Lefrere, Paul

    1981-01-01

    The Open University has become one of the biggest publishing houses in Great Britain. Its course units are produced in a system closely modeled on that of commercial publishers. New technologies in publishing have important educational implications. They can produce up-to-date materials for high level, small population courses. (Author/MLW)

  11. Validating bifidobacterial species and subspecies identity in commercial probiotic products.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Zachery T; Shani, Guy; Masarweh, Chad F; Popovic, Mina; Frese, Steve A; Sela, David A; Underwood, Mark A; Mills, David A

    2016-03-01

    The ingestion of probiotics to attempt to improve health is increasingly common; however, quality control of some commercial products can be limited. Clinical practice is shifting toward the routine use of probiotics to aid in prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants, and probiotic administration to term infants is increasingly common to treat colic and/or prevent atopic disease. Since bifidobacteria dominate the feces of healthy breast-fed infants, they are often included in infant-targeted probiotics. We evaluated 16 probiotic products to determine how well their label claims describe the species of detectable bifidobacteria in the product. Recently developed DNA-based methods were used as a primary means of identification, and were confirmed using culture-based techniques. We found that the contents of many bifidobacterial probiotic products differ from the ingredient list, sometimes at a subspecies level. Only 1 of the 16 probiotics perfectly matched its bifidobacterial label claims in all samples tested, and both pill-to-pill and lot-to-lot variation were observed. Given the known differences between various bifidobacterial species and subspecies in metabolic capacity and colonization abilities, the prevalence of misidentified bifidobacteria in these products is cause for concern for those involved in clinical trials and consumers of probiotic products.

  12. Diagnosis of gas gangrene: does a discrepancy exist between the published data and practice.

    PubMed

    Brucato, Maryellen P; Patel, Krupa; Mgbako, Obinna

    2014-01-01

    The Infectious Disease Society of America has defined gas gangrene as an infection caused by Clostridium species. However, in many clinical settings, soft tissue infections that produce subcutaneous gas have been diagnosed as gas gangrene without identification of the presence of Clostridium species. Instead, the diagnosis was based on clinical and radiographic findings. A chart review was performed of 25 consecutive patients treated at the Atlantic Health System for infections of the lower extremity that were diagnosed as gas gangrene. Wound cultures from the 25 patients grew 31 different species of bacteria. The most prevalent organism was Staphylococcus aureus, which accounted for 17 of 31 (54.84%) different organisms identified and 19.77% of 86 separate aerobic or anaerobic cultures. The most prevalent genus was Streptococcus, which accounted for 20 (64.52%) of the organisms identified and 23.26% of the cultures. The most prevalent anaerobic genus was Peptostreptococcus, which accounted for 8 (25.81%) of the organisms identified and 9.3% of the cultures. None of the cultures grew Clostridium species. These findings showed that gas-forming soft tissue infections of the lower extremity, commonly diagnosed as gas gangrene, are rarely caused by Clostridium species. Copyright © 2014 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. How complex is the Bufo bufo species group?

    PubMed

    Arntzen, Jan W; Recuero, Ernesto; Canestrelli, Daniele; Martínez-Solano, Iñigo

    2013-12-01

    Species delineation remains one of the most challenging tasks in the study of biodiversity, mostly owing to the application of different species concepts, which results in contrasting taxonomic arrangements. This has important practical consequences, since species are basic units in fields like ecology and conservation biology. We here review molecular genetic evidence relevant to the systematics of toads in the Bufo bufo species group (Anura, Bufonidae). Two studies recently published in this journal (Recuero et al., MPE 62: 71-86 and García-Porta et al., MPE 63: 113-130) addressed this issue but reached opposing conclusions on the taxonomy of the group (four versus two species). In particular, allozyme data in the latter paper were interpreted as evidence for hybridization across species (between B. bufo-B. spinosus and B. bufo-B. verrucosissimus). We tested claims for hybridization through re-analysis of allozyme data for individuals instead of populations, to be able to distinguish between sympatry with and without admixture, and found no evidence of hybridization across taxa. We propose alternative explanations for the observed patterns that García-Porta et al. (2012) failed to consider. In the absence of unequivocal evidence for hybridization and introgression, we reject the proposal to downgrade Bufo spinosus and Bufo verrucosissimus to the subspecies level. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A new species of Sicoderus Vanin from Bolivia (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Otidocephalini).

    PubMed

    Vanin, Sergio A; De Medeiros, Bruno A S

    2013-11-04

    Sicoderus robini sp. nov. (type locality: Bolivia, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Buena Vista, El Cairo) is described and illustrated. The new species is assigned to the Sicoderus appendiculatus species group, compared with similar species of the group and with the two other species of Sicoderus that occur in Bolivia. The previously published key for species identification of the S. appendiculatus group is updated to include the new species.

  15. Publishing: Alternatives and Economics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penchansky, Mimi; And Others

    The Library Association of the City University of New York presents an annotated bibliography on the subject of small and alternative publishing. In the first section directories, indexes, catalogs, and reviews are briefly described. Book distributors for small publishers are listed next. The major portion of the bibliography is a listing of books…

  16. 41 CFR 60-3.9 - No assumption of validity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... general reputation of a test or other selection procedures, its author or its publisher, or casual reports... of validity based on a procedure's name or descriptive labels; all forms of promotional literature...

  17. 41 CFR 60-3.9 - No assumption of validity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... general reputation of a test or other selection procedures, its author or its publisher, or casual reports... of validity based on a procedure's name or descriptive labels; all forms of promotional literature...

  18. Moving beyond Traditional Methods of Survey Validation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maul, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    In his focus article, "Rethinking Traditional Methods of Survey Validation," published in this issue of "Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives," Andrew Maul wrote that it is commonly believed that self-report, survey-based instruments can be used to measure a wide range of psychological attributes, such as…

  19. Chemical Constituents Analysis and Antidiabetic Activity Validation of Four Fern Species from Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Chen-Yu; Chiu, Fu-Yu; Lin, Yenshou; Huang, Wei-Jan; Hsieh, Po-Shiuan; Hsu, Feng-Lin

    2015-01-01

    Pterosins are abundant in ferns, and pterosin A was considered a novel activator of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which is crucial for regulating blood glucose homeostasis. However, the distribution of pterosins in different species of ferns from various places in Taiwan is currently unclear. To address this question, the distribution of pterosins, glucose-uptake efficiency, and protective effects of pterosin A on β-cells were examined. Our results showed that three novel compounds, 13-chloro-spelosin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), (3R)-Pterosin D 3-O-β-d-(3'-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (2), and (2R,3R)-Pterosin L 3-O-β-d-(3'-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (3), were isolated for the first time from four fern species (Ceratopteris thalictroides, Hypolepis punctata, Nephrolepis multiflora, and Pteridium revolutum) along with 27 known compounds. We also examined the distribution of these pterosin compounds in the mentioned fern species (except N. multiflora). Although all pterosin analogs exhibited the same effects in glucose uptake assays, pterosin A prevented cell death and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This paper is the first report to provide new insights into the distribution of pterosins in ferns from Taiwan. The potential anti-diabetic activity of these novel phytocompounds warrants further functional studies. PMID:25622260

  20. Book Publishing in Asia; Report on the Regional Seminar on Book Publishing (Singapore, 21-25 March 1969).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franklin Book Programs, Inc., New York, NY.

    The papers presented at a conference of book publishers from Asia, Canada and the United States are contained in this volume. The topics were: The Asian publisher: his problems and opportunities; The economic foundations of book publishing; The book in the context of nation-building; Publishing books for children; Publishing textbooks for…

  1. Leptotrichia species in human infections II

    PubMed Central

    Eribe, Emenike R. K.; Olsen, Ingar

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Leptotrichia species are non-motile facultative anaerobic/anaerobic bacteria that are found mostly in the oral cavity and some other parts of the human body, in animals, and even in ocean sediments. Valid species include L. buccalis, L. goodfellowii, L. hofstadii, L. honkongensis, L. shahii, L. trevisanii, and L. wadei. Some species require serum or blood for growth. All species ferment carbohydrates and produce lactic acid that may be involved with tooth decay. Acting as opportunistic pathogens, they are involved in a variety of diseases, and have been isolated from immunocompromised but also immunocompetent individuals. Mucositis, oral lesions, wounds, and abscesses may predispose to Leptotrichia septicemia. Because identification of Leptotrichia species by phenotypic features occasionally lead to misidentification, genetic techniques such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing is recommended. Early diagnosis and treatment of leptotrichia infections is important for positive outcomes. Over the last years, Leptotrichia species have been associated with several changes in taxonomy and new associations with clinical diseases. Such changes are reported in this updated review. PMID:29081911

  2. Estimation of Species Identification Error: Implications for Raptor Migration Counts and Trend Estimation

    Treesearch

    J.M. Hull; A.M. Fish; J.J. Keane; S.R. Mori; B.J Sacks; A.C. Hull

    2010-01-01

    One of the primary assumptions associated with many wildlife and population trend studies is that target species are correctly identified. This assumption may not always be valid, particularly for species similar in appearance to co-occurring species. We examined size overlap and identification error rates among Cooper's (Accipiter cooperii...

  3. Ensemble habitat mapping of invasive plant species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stohlgren, T.J.; Ma, P.; Kumar, S.; Rocca, M.; Morisette, J.T.; Jarnevich, C.S.; Benson, N.

    2010-01-01

    Ensemble species distribution models combine the strengths of several species environmental matching models, while minimizing the weakness of any one model. Ensemble models may be particularly useful in risk analysis of recently arrived, harmful invasive species because species may not yet have spread to all suitable habitats, leaving species-environment relationships difficult to determine. We tested five individual models (logistic regression, boosted regression trees, random forest, multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and maximum entropy model or Maxent) and ensemble modeling for selected nonnative plant species in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Wyoming; Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, and areas of interior Alaska. The models are based on field data provided by the park staffs, combined with topographic, climatic, and vegetation predictors derived from satellite data. For the four invasive plant species tested, ensemble models were the only models that ranked in the top three models for both field validation and test data. Ensemble models may be more robust than individual species-environment matching models for risk analysis. ?? 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

  4. Publishing and Journalism Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Alfred; And Others

    1977-01-01

    If you like to work with words and notational symbols--or with describing, selecting, managing, and distributing the words and music of other people--then journalism or publishing as a whole may be your bailiwick. Describes the positions of music editor, music publisher, magazine/book editor, music critic, and freelance music writer. (Editor/RK)

  5. Redescriptions and reestablishments of some species belonging to the genus Prionospio (Polychaeta, Spionidae) and descriptions of three new species

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delgado-Blas, V. H.

    2014-03-01

    Available type material of Prionospio heterobranchia Moore, 1907, P. ( Prionospio) texana Hartman, 1951, P. spongicola Wesenberg-Lund, 1958 and P. ( P.) newportensis Reish, 1959, as well as newly collected material from the Southern Gulf of Mexico and Chetumal Bay in the Caribbean Sea, was examined. Several important differences were found between P. heterobranchia, P. ( Prionospio) texana, P. spongicola and P. ( P.) newportensis, and as a result, these three species are removed from synonymy with P. heterobranchia Moore, 1907, and redescribed and reinstated as valid species. In addition, three new species were identified and described: P. caribensis sp. nov., P. rosariae sp. nov. and P. jamaicensis sp. nov. A key to all species of Prionospio with five pairs of branchiae is provided.

  6. Two new species of Paurodontella Husain and Khan, 1968 (Nematoda: Sphaerulariidae) associated with wheat and a diagnostic compendium to the genus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An identification key to 10 valid species of Paurodontella is given. A compendium of the most important diagnostic characters with illustrations of each species is included as a practical alternative and supplement to the key. The diagnosis of Paurodontella is emended and a list of all valid specie...

  7. Confocal Raman microscopy for identification of bacterial species in biofilms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beier, Brooke D.; Quivey, Robert G.; Berger, Andrew J.

    2011-03-01

    Implemented through a confocal microscope, Raman spectroscopy has been used to distinguish between biofilm samples of two common oral bacteria species, Streptococcus sanguinis and mutans, which are associated with healthy and cariogenic plaque, respectively. Biofilms of these species are studied as a model of dental plaque. A prediction model has been calibrated and validated using pure biofilms. This model has been used to identify the species of transferred and dehydrated samples (much like a plaque scraping) as well as hydrated biofilms in situ. Preliminary results of confocal Raman mapping of species in an intact two-species biofilm will be shown.

  8. Calibration and validation of toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic models for three neonicotinoids and some aquatic macroinvertebrates.

    PubMed

    Focks, Andreas; Belgers, Dick; Boerwinkel, Marie-Claire; Buijse, Laura; Roessink, Ivo; Van den Brink, Paul J

    2018-05-01

    Exposure patterns in ecotoxicological experiments often do not match the exposure profiles for which a risk assessment needs to be performed. This limitation can be overcome by using toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) models for the prediction of effects under time-variable exposure. For the use of TKTD models in the environmental risk assessment of chemicals, it is required to calibrate and validate the model for specific compound-species combinations. In this study, the survival of macroinvertebrates after exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide was modelled using TKTD models from the General Unified Threshold models of Survival (GUTS) framework. The models were calibrated on existing survival data from acute or chronic tests under static exposure regime. Validation experiments were performed for two sets of species-compound combinations: one set focussed on multiple species sensitivity to a single compound: imidacloprid, and the other set on the effects of multiple compounds for a single species, i.e., the three neonicotinoid compounds imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam, on the survival of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum. The calibrated models were used to predict survival over time, including uncertainty ranges, for the different time-variable exposure profiles used in the validation experiments. From the comparison between observed and predicted survival, it appeared that the accuracy of the model predictions was acceptable for four of five tested species in the multiple species data set. For compounds such as neonicotinoids, which are known to have the potential to show increased toxicity under prolonged exposure, the calibration and validation of TKTD models for survival needs to be performed ideally by considering calibration data from both acute and chronic tests.

  9. Development and validation of the first SSR markers for Mimosa scabrella Benth.

    PubMed

    Saiki, F A; Bernardi, A P; Reis, M S; Faoro, H; Souza, E M; Pedrosa, F O; Mantovani, A; Guidolin, A F

    2017-02-16

    Mimosa scabrella Benth., popularly known as ''bracatinga'', is a pioneer and endemic species of Brazil, occurring in Mixed Ombrophilous Forest associated with Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest biomes. It is a fast-growing tree of the Fabaceae family that facilitates the dynamics of ecological succession. SSR development, when there is no genome sequence, is time and labor intensive and there are no molecular markers for M. scabrella. We developed and validated the first microsatellite markers for this tetraploid species, evaluating mother trees and progenies. Using Illumina sequencing, we identified 290 SSR loci and 211 primer pairs. After 31 SSR loci PCR/agarose electrophoresis selection, a subset of 11 primer pairs was synthetized with fluorescence in the forward primer for PCR and capillary electrophoresis validation with leaf DNA of 33 adult and 411 progeny individuals. Polymorphic locus percentage was 36, 4 in 11 loci, 3 chloroplast SSRs, and 1 nuclear SSR. Allele number of polymorphic loci ranged from 2 to 11 alleles considering all sampling. All 11 primer pairs were also tested for cross-species amplification for five Fabaceae-Mimosoideae species, ranging from 2 loci transferred to Calliandra tweedii Benth. and all 11 loci transferred to Mimosa taimbensis Burkart. The assessed and validated SSR markers for M. scabrella are suitable and useful for analysis and population genetic studies.

  10. 77 FR 73608 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-11

    ...On November 26, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in response to several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. As described in the proposed rule, NMFS is proposing measures that would reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited sustainable shark fishery can be maintained consistent with our legal obligations. The proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species groups, the creation of several time/area closures, a change to an existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks. Comments received by NMFS will be considered in the development and finalization of Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This notice announces public hearings, conference calls, and an HMS Advisory Panel meeting to discuss the proposed rule.

  11. Sexual species are separated by larger genetic gaps than asexual species in rotifers.

    PubMed

    Tang, Cuong Q; Obertegger, Ulrike; Fontaneto, Diego; Barraclough, Timothy G

    2014-10-01

    Why organisms diversify into discrete species instead of showing a continuum of genotypic and phenotypic forms is an important yet rarely studied question in speciation biology. Does species discreteness come from adaptation to fill discrete niches or from interspecific gaps generated by reproductive isolation? We investigate the importance of reproductive isolation by comparing genetic discreteness, in terms of intra- and interspecific variation, between facultatively sexual monogonont rotifers and obligately asexual bdelloid rotifers. We calculated the age (phylogenetic distance) and average pairwise genetic distance (raw distance) within and among evolutionarily significant units of diversity in six bdelloid clades and seven monogonont clades sampled for 4211 individuals in total. We find that monogonont species are more discrete than bdelloid species with respect to divergence between species but exhibit similar levels of intraspecific variation (species cohesiveness). This pattern arises because bdelloids have diversified into discrete genetic clusters at a faster net rate than monogononts. Although sampling biases or differences in ecology that are independent of sexuality might also affect these patterns, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that bdelloids diversified at a faster rate into less discrete species because their diversification does not depend on the evolution of reproductive isolation. © 2014 The Authors. Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  12. A climate change context for the decline of a foundation tree species in south-western Australia: insights from phylogeography and species distribution modelling.

    PubMed

    Dalmaris, Eleftheria; Ramalho, Cristina E; Poot, Pieter; Veneklaas, Erik J; Byrne, Margaret

    2015-11-01

    A worldwide increase in tree decline and mortality has been linked to climate change and, where these represent foundation species, this can have important implications for ecosystem functions. This study tests a combined approach of phylogeographic analysis and species distribution modelling to provide a climate change context for an observed decline in crown health and an increase in mortality in Eucalyptus wandoo, an endemic tree of south-western Australia. Phylogeographic analyses were undertaken using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of chloroplast DNA in 26 populations across the species distribution. Parsimony analysis of haplotype relationships was conducted, a haplotype network was prepared, and haplotype and nucleotide diversity were calculated. Species distribution modelling was undertaken using Maxent models based on extant species occurrences and projected to climate models of the last glacial maximum (LGM). A structured pattern of diversity was identified, with the presence of two groups that followed a climatic gradient from mesic to semi-arid regions. Most populations were represented by a single haplotype, but many haplotypes were shared among populations, with some having widespread distributions. A putative refugial area with high haplotype diversity was identified at the centre of the species distribution. Species distribution modelling showed high climatic suitability at the LGM and high climatic stability in the central region where higher genetic diversity was found, and low suitability elsewhere, consistent with a pattern of range contraction. Combination of phylogeography and paleo-distribution modelling can provide an evolutionary context for climate-driven tree decline, as both can be used to cross-validate evidence for refugia and contraction under harsh climatic conditions. This approach identified a central refugial area in the test species E. wandoo, with more recent expansion into peripheral areas from where it had

  13. A rapid method for selecting suitable animal species for studying pathogen interactions with plasma protein ligands in vivo.

    PubMed

    Naudin, Clément; Schumski, Ariane; Salo-Ahen, Outi M H; Herwald, Heiko; Smeds, Emanuel

    2017-05-01

    Species tropism constitutes a serious problem for developing relevant animal models of infection. Human pathogens can express virulence factors that show specific selectivity to human proteins, while their affinity for orthologs from other species can vary significantly. Suitable animal species must be used to analyse whether virulence factors are potential targets for drug development. We developed an assay that rapidly predicts applicable animal species for studying virulence factors binding plasma proteins. We used two well-characterized Staphylococcus aureus proteins, SSL7 and Efb, to develop an ELISA-based inhibition assay using plasma from different animal species. The interaction between SSL7 and human C5 and the binding of Efb to human fibrinogen and human C3 was studied. Affinity experiments and Western blot analyses were used to validate the assay. Human, monkey and cat plasma interfered with binding of SSL7 to human C5. Binding of Efb to human fibrinogen was blocked in human, monkey, gerbil and pig plasma, while human, monkey, gerbil, rabbit, cat and guinea pig plasma inhibited the binding of Efb to human C3. These results emphasize the importance of choosing correct animal models, and thus, our approach is a rapid and cost-effective method that can be used to prevent unnecessary animal experiments. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  14. Three new species of the Stenuscirrus group (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Jiangxi, South China.

    PubMed

    Yu, Yi-Ming; Tang, Liang; Yu, Wei-Dong

    2014-01-01

    THREE NEW SPECIES FROM JIANGXI, CHINA, ARE DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED: Stenuswugongshanus sp. n., Stenusmingyueshanus sp. n., and Stenussongxiaobini sp. n. A previously published key to the Chinese species of the Stenuscirrus group is modified to accommodate the new species.

  15. Detecting differential DNA methylation from sequencing of bisulfite converted DNA of diverse species.

    PubMed

    Huh, Iksoo; Wu, Xin; Park, Taesung; Yi, Soojin V

    2017-07-21

    DNA methylation is one of the most extensively studied epigenetic modifications of genomic DNA. In recent years, sequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA, particularly via next-generation sequencing technologies, has become a widely popular method to study DNA methylation. This method can be readily applied to a variety of species, dramatically expanding the scope of DNA methylation studies beyond the traditionally studied human and mouse systems. In parallel to the increasing wealth of genomic methylation profiles, many statistical tools have been developed to detect differentially methylated loci (DMLs) or differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between biological conditions. We discuss and summarize several key properties of currently available tools to detect DMLs and DMRs from sequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA. However, the majority of the statistical tools developed for DML/DMR analyses have been validated using only mammalian data sets, and less priority has been placed on the analyses of invertebrate or plant DNA methylation data. We demonstrate that genomic methylation profiles of non-mammalian species are often highly distinct from those of mammalian species using examples of honey bees and humans. We then discuss how such differences in data properties may affect statistical analyses. Based on these differences, we provide three specific recommendations to improve the power and accuracy of DML and DMR analyses of invertebrate data when using currently available statistical tools. These considerations should facilitate systematic and robust analyses of DNA methylation from diverse species, thus advancing our understanding of DNA methylation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  16. A global checklist of the 932 fruit fly species in the tribe Dacini (Diptera, Tephritidae)

    PubMed Central

    Doorenweerd, Camiel; Leblanc, Luc; Norrbom, Allen L.; Jose, Michael San; Rubinoff, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The correct application of the scientific names of species is neither easy nor trivial. Mistakes can lead to the wrong interpretation of research results or, when pest species are involved, inappropriate regulations and limits on trade, and possibly quarantine failures that permit the invasion of new pest species. Names are particularly challenging to manage when groups of organisms encompass a large number of species, when different workers employ different philosophical views, or when species are in a state of taxonomic flux. The fruit fly tribe Dacini is a species-rich taxon within Tephritidae and contains around a fifth of all known species in the family. About 10% of the 932 currently recognized species are pests of commercial fruits and vegetables, precipitating quarantines and trade embargos. Authoritative species lists consist largely of scattered regional treatments and outdated online resources. The checklist presented here is the first global overview of valid species names for the Dacini in almost two decades, and includes new lure records. By publishing this list both in paper and digitally, we aim to provide a resource for those studying fruit flies as well as researchers studying components of their impact on agriculture. The list is largely a consolidation of previous works, but following the results from recent phylogenetic work, we transfer one subgenus and eight species to different genera: members of the Bactrocera subgenus Javadacus Hardy, considered to belong to the Zeugodacus group of subgenera, are transferred to genus Zeugodacus; Bactrocera pseudocucurbitae White, 1999, stat. rev., is transferred back to Bactrocera from Zeugodacus; Zeugodacus arisanicus Shiraki, 1933, stat. rev., is transferred back to Zeugodacus from Bactrocera; and Z. brevipunctatus (David & Hancock, 2017), comb. n.; Z. javanensis (Perkins, 1938), comb. n.; Z. montanus (Hardy, 1983), comb. n.; Z. papuaensis (Malloch, 1939), comb. n.; Z. scutellarius (Bezzi, 1916

  17. A global checklist of the 932 fruit fly species in the tribe Dacini (Diptera, Tephritidae).

    PubMed

    Doorenweerd, Camiel; Leblanc, Luc; Norrbom, Allen L; Jose, Michael San; Rubinoff, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    The correct application of the scientific names of species is neither easy nor trivial. Mistakes can lead to the wrong interpretation of research results or, when pest species are involved, inappropriate regulations and limits on trade, and possibly quarantine failures that permit the invasion of new pest species. Names are particularly challenging to manage when groups of organisms encompass a large number of species, when different workers employ different philosophical views, or when species are in a state of taxonomic flux. The fruit fly tribe Dacini is a species-rich taxon within Tephritidae and contains around a fifth of all known species in the family. About 10% of the 932 currently recognized species are pests of commercial fruits and vegetables, precipitating quarantines and trade embargos. Authoritative species lists consist largely of scattered regional treatments and outdated online resources. The checklist presented here is the first global overview of valid species names for the Dacini in almost two decades, and includes new lure records. By publishing this list both in paper and digitally, we aim to provide a resource for those studying fruit flies as well as researchers studying components of their impact on agriculture. The list is largely a consolidation of previous works, but following the results from recent phylogenetic work, we transfer one subgenus and eight species to different genera: members of the Bactrocera subgenus Javadacus Hardy, considered to belong to the Zeugodacus group of subgenera, are transferred to genus Zeugodacus ; Bactrocera pseudocucurbitae White, 1999, stat. rev. , is transferred back to Bactrocera from Zeugodacus ; Zeugodacus arisanicus Shiraki, 1933, stat. rev. , is transferred back to Zeugodacus from Bactrocera ; and Z. brevipunctatus (David & Hancock, 2017), comb. n. ; Z. javanensis (Perkins, 1938), comb. n. ; Z. montanus (Hardy, 1983), comb. n. ; Z. papuaensis (Malloch, 1939), comb. n. ; Z. scutellarius (Bezzi, 1916

  18. A systematic review of validated sinus surgery simulators.

    PubMed

    Stew, B; Kao, S S-T; Dharmawardana, N; Ooi, E H

    2018-06-01

    Simulation provides a safe and effective opportunity to develop surgical skills. A variety of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) simulators has been described in the literature. Validation of these simulators allows for effective utilisation in training. To conduct a systematic review of the published literature to analyse the evidence for validated ESS simulation. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Cinahl were searched from inception of the databases to 11 January 2017. Twelve thousand five hundred and sixteen articles were retrieved of which 10 112 were screened following the removal of duplicates. Thirty-eight full-text articles were reviewed after meeting search criteria. Evidence of face, content, construct, discriminant and predictive validity was extracted. Twenty articles were included in the analysis describing 12 ESS simulators. Eleven of these simulators had undergone validation: 3 virtual reality, 7 physical bench models and 1 cadaveric simulator. Seven of the simulators were shown to have face validity, 7 had construct validity and 1 had predictive validity. None of the simulators demonstrated discriminate validity. This systematic review demonstrates that a number of ESS simulators have been comprehensively validated. Many of the validation processes, however, lack standardisation in outcome reporting, thus limiting a meta-analysis comparison between simulators. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Actinomyces Species Isolated from Breast Infections

    PubMed Central

    Loh, S. F.; Morris, T.; Hughes, H.; Dixon, J. M.

    2015-01-01

    Actinomycosis is a chronic infection caused by Actinomyces species characterized by abscess formation, tissue fibrosis, and draining sinuses. The spectrum of infections caused by Actinomyces species ranges from classical invasive actinomycosis to a less invasive form of superficial skin and soft tissue infection. We present a review detailing all Actinomyces species isolated from breast infections in NHS Lothian between 2005 and 2013, Actinomyces species isolated from breast infections referred to the United Kingdom Anaerobe Reference Unit between 1988 and 2014, and cases describing Actinomyces breast infections published in the medical literature since 1994. Actinomyces species are fastidious organisms which can be difficult to identify and are likely to be underascertained as a cause of breast infections. Due to improved diagnostic methods, they are increasingly associated with chronic, recurrent breast infections and may play a more significant role in these infections than has previously been appreciated. PMID:26224846

  20. Towards a Supertree of Arthropoda: A Species-Level Supertree of the Spiny, Slipper and Coral Lobsters (Decapoda: Achelata)

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Katie E.; Hesketh, Thomas W.; Delmer, Cyrille; Wills, Matthew A.

    2015-01-01

    While supertrees have been built for many vertebrate groups (notably birds, mammals and dinosaurs), invertebrates have attracted relatively little attention. The paucity of supertrees of arthropods is particularly surprising given their economic and ecological importance, as well as their overwhelming contribution to biodiversity. The absence of comprehensive archives of machine-readable source trees, coupled with the need for software implementing repeatable protocols for managing them, has undoubtedly impeded progress. Here we present a supertree of Achelata (spiny, slipper and coral lobsters) as a proof of concept, constructed using new supertree specific software (the Supertree Toolkit; STK) and following a published protocol. We also introduce a new resource for archiving and managing published source trees. Our supertree of Achelata is synthesised from morphological and molecular source trees, and represents the most complete species-level tree of the group to date. Our findings are consistent with recent taxonomic treatments, confirming the validity of just two families: Palinuridae and Scyllaridae; Synaxidae were resolved within Palinuridae. Monophyletic Silentes and Stridentes lineages are recovered within Palinuridae, and all sub-families within Scyllaridae are found to be monophyletic with the exception of Ibacinae. We demonstrate the feasibility of building larger supertrees of arthropods, with the ultimate objective of building a complete species-level phylogeny for the entire phylum using a divide and conquer strategy. PMID:26461106

  1. Towards a Supertree of Arthropoda: A Species-Level Supertree of the Spiny, Slipper and Coral Lobsters (Decapoda: Achelata).

    PubMed

    Davis, Katie E; Hesketh, Thomas W; Delmer, Cyrille; Wills, Matthew A

    2015-01-01

    While supertrees have been built for many vertebrate groups (notably birds, mammals and dinosaurs), invertebrates have attracted relatively little attention. The paucity of supertrees of arthropods is particularly surprising given their economic and ecological importance, as well as their overwhelming contribution to biodiversity. The absence of comprehensive archives of machine-readable source trees, coupled with the need for software implementing repeatable protocols for managing them, has undoubtedly impeded progress. Here we present a supertree of Achelata (spiny, slipper and coral lobsters) as a proof of concept, constructed using new supertree specific software (the Supertree Toolkit; STK) and following a published protocol. We also introduce a new resource for archiving and managing published source trees. Our supertree of Achelata is synthesised from morphological and molecular source trees, and represents the most complete species-level tree of the group to date. Our findings are consistent with recent taxonomic treatments, confirming the validity of just two families: Palinuridae and Scyllaridae; Synaxidae were resolved within Palinuridae. Monophyletic Silentes and Stridentes lineages are recovered within Palinuridae, and all sub-families within Scyllaridae are found to be monophyletic with the exception of Ibacinae. We demonstrate the feasibility of building larger supertrees of arthropods, with the ultimate objective of building a complete species-level phylogeny for the entire phylum using a divide and conquer strategy.

  2. The Once and Future Publishing Library

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okerson, Ann; Holzman, Alex

    2015-01-01

    The report explores the revitalization of library publishing and its possible future, and examines elements that influence the success and sustainability of library publishing initiatives. The authors trace the history of library publishing and factors that have transformed the publishing landscape, and describe several significant library-press…

  3. 12 CFR 261.10 - Published information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Published information. 261.10 Section 261.10... RULES REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Published Information and Records Available to Public; Procedures for Requests § 261.10 Published information. (a) Federal Register. The Board publishes in the...

  4. Anormogomphus kiritshenkoi Bartenev, 1913 (Odonata: Gomphidae): a literature review of the variable spelling of the species epithet, choice of the correct spelling and notes on the type locality of the species.

    PubMed

    Schorr, Martin; Kosterin, Oleg E; Borisov, Sergey N; Marinov, Milen

    2018-01-12

    The spelling of the specific name of an Anormogomphus species in its original description by Bartenev (1913) was variable, kiritshenkoi (5 times) vs kiritschenkoi (1 time). Bartenev himself did not mention this species in his further publications. Later authors proceeded to use different spelling versions of this name, including those not in the original paper. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the valid spelling should be chosen by the First Reviser. Acting as such, we choose as valid the name spelling Anormogomphus kiritshenkoi Bartenev, 1913, since it predominates in the original description, appears in the species subtitle, and is a proper transliteration from Cyrillic to Latin. It also corresponds to the spelling of his name used by A.N. Kiritshenko himself. Information of the type locality of the species is provided.

  5. Validation of a Five Plate Test, the STAR protocol, for the screening of antibiotic residues in muscle from different animal species according to European Decision 2002/657/EC.

    PubMed

    Gaudin, V; Hedou, C; Rault, A; Verdon, E

    2010-07-01

    The STAR protocol is a Five Plate Test (FPT) developed several years ago at the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for the screening of antimicrobial residues in milk and muscle. This paper presents the validation of this method according to European Decision 2002/657/EC and to an internal guideline for validation. A validation protocol based on 'simulated tissues' and on a list of 16 representative antimicrobials to be validated was implemented in our laboratory during several months for the STAR protocol. The performance characteristics of the method were determined (specificity, detection capabilities CCbeta, applicability, ruggedness). In conclusion, the STAR protocol is applicable to the broad-spectrum detection of antibiotic residues in muscles of different animal species (pig, cattle, sheep, poultry). The method has good specificity (false-positive rate = 4%). The detection capabilities were determined for 16 antibiotics from different families in relation to their respective maximum residue limit (MRL): beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins < or = MRL), tetracyclines (< or = MRL and < or = 2.5 MRL), macrolides (2 MRL), quinolones (< or = 2 MRL), some sulphonamides (< or = 3 MRL), and trimethoprim (2 MRL). However, the sensitivity of the STAR protocol towards aminoglycosides (> 8 MRL) and florfenicol (< or = 10 MRL) was unsatisfactory (>MRL). The two objectives of this study were met: firstly, to validate the STAR protocol according to European Decision 2002/657/EC, then to demonstrate that the validation guideline developed to implement this decision is applicable to microbiological plate tests even for muscle. The use of simulated tissue appeared a good compromise between spiked discs with antibiotic solutions and incurred tissues. In addition, the choice of a list of representative antibiotics allowed the reduction of the scope of the validation, which was already costly in time and effort.

  6. A new species of the genus Eurhadina Haupt (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from Korea, with a key to Korean species.

    PubMed

    Oh, Sumin; Lim, Jongok; Jung, Sunghoon

    2016-04-11

    The leafhopper genus Eurhadina Haupt, 1929 belongs to the tribe Typhlocybini of subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae). Currently, genus Eurhadina includes 3 subgenera, Eurhadina Haupt 1929, Singhardina Mahmood 1967, Zhihadina Yang & Li 1991. A total of 20 valid species of subgenus Eurhadina have been described in the Nearctic and Palaearctic region and the subgenus Singhardina includes 57 species in the Oriental and Palaearctic region (Huang & Zhang 1999, Dworakowska 2002). The subgenus Zhihadina includes only 1 species from China (Yang & Lee, 1991). So far, four species of subgenus Eurhadina were recorded in the Korean Peninsula (Kwon & Huh 2001): Eurhadina (Eurhadina) betularia Anufriev, 1969, E. (E.) koreana Dworakowska, 1971, E. (E.) pulchella (Fallen, 1806), and E. (E.) wagneri Dworakowska, 1969. The majority of species belonging to the subgenus Eurhadina are difficult to distinguish by external appearance because the color patterns of the forewings are very similar among species.

  7. Alternative validation practice of an automated faulting measurement method.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-03-08

    A number of states have adopted profiler based systems to automatically measure faulting, : in jointed concrete pavements. However, little published work exists which documents the : validation process used for such automated faulting systems. This p...

  8. Increased importance of the documented development stage in process validation.

    PubMed

    Mohammed-Ziegler, Ildikó; Medgyesi, Ildikó

    2012-07-01

    Current trends in pharmaceutical quality assurance moved when the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA published its new guideline on process validation in 2011. This guidance introduced the lifecycle approach of process validation. In this short communication some typical changes from the point of view of practice of API production are addressed in the light of inspection experiences. Some details are compared with the European regulations.

  9. 12 CFR 271.3 - Published information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Published information. 271.3 Section 271.3... AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION § 271.3 Published information. (a) Federal Register. The Committee publishes in the... the actions, and the votes taken. (c) Other published information. From time to time, other...

  10. Simulium maleewongae, a New Species of Simulium (Gomphostilbia) (Diptera: Simuliidae) From Thailand.

    PubMed

    Takaoka, Hiroyuki; Srisuka, Wichai; Saeung, Atiporn

    2017-01-01

    Simulium (Gomphostilbia) maleewongae sp. nov. is described based on the adult males and females, their pupal exuviae, and larvae from Thailand. This new species is placed in the Simulium gombakense species-group of Simulium (Gomphostilbia). It is characterized by the female cibarium with a cup-like appendage, male ventral plate deeply depressed ventromedially, pupal gill composed of an inflated structure and eight slender filaments, cone-shaped pupal terminal hooks, and cocoon with an anterodorsal projection. Taxonomic notes are given to separate this new species from 10 other species of the same species-group known from China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, and Vietnam. Keys to identify all 11 species of the S. gombakense species-group are provided for females, males, pupae, and larvae. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com Version of Record, first published online October 20, 2016 with fixed content and layout in compliance with Art. 8.1.3.2 ICZN.

  11. Utility of pedometers for assessing physical activity: construct validity.

    PubMed

    Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Williams, Joel E; Reis, Jared P; Pluto, Delores

    2004-01-01

    Valid assessment of physical activity is necessary to fully understand this important health-related behaviour for research, surveillance, intervention and evaluation purposes. This article is the second in a companion set exploring the validity of pedometer-assessed physical activity. The previous article published in Sports Medicine dealt with convergent validity (i.e. the extent to which an instrument's output is associated with that of other instruments intended to measure the same exposure of interest). The present focus is on construct validity. Construct validity is the extent to which the measurement corresponds with other measures of theoretically-related parameters. Construct validity is typically evaluated by correlational analysis, that is, the magnitude of concordance between two measures (e.g. pedometer-determined steps/day and a theoretically-related parameter such as age, anthropometric measures and fitness). A systematic literature review produced 29 articles published since > or =1980 directly relevant to construct validity of pedometers in relation to age, anthropometric measures and fitness. Reported correlations were combined and a median r-value was computed. Overall, there was a weak inverse relationship (median r = -0.21) between age and pedometer-determined physical activity. A weak inverse relationship was also apparent with both body mass index and percentage overweight (median r = -0.27 and r = -0.22, respectively). Positive relationships regarding indicators of fitness ranged from weak to moderate depending on the fitness measure utilised: 6-minute walk test (median r = 0.69), timed treadmill test (median r = 0.41) and estimated maximum oxygen uptake (median r = 0.22). Studies are warranted to assess the relationship of pedometer-determined physical activity with other important health-related outcomes including blood pressure and physiological parameters such as blood glucose and lipid profiles. The aggregated evidence of convergent

  12. Clinical instruments: reliability and validity critical appraisal.

    PubMed

    Brink, Yolandi; Louw, Quinette A

    2012-12-01

    RATIONALE, AIM AND OBJECTIVES: There is a lack of health care practitioners using objective clinical tools with sound psychometric properties. There is also a need for researchers to improve their reporting of the validity and reliability results of these clinical tools. Therefore, to promote the use of valid and reliable tools or tests for clinical evaluation, this paper reports on the development of a critical appraisal tool to assess the psychometric properties of objective clinical tools. A five-step process was followed to develop the new critical appraisal tool: (1) preliminary conceptual decisions; (2) defining key concepts; (3) item generation; (4) assessment of face validity; and (5) formulation of the final tool. The new critical appraisal tool consists of 13 items, of which five items relate to both validity and reliability studies, four items to validity studies only and four items to reliability studies. The 13 items could be scored as 'yes', 'no' or 'not applicable'. This critical appraisal tool will aid both the health care practitioner to critically appraise the relevant literature and researchers to improve the quality of reporting of the validity and reliability of objective clinical tools. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Evaluation of the PCR method for identification of Bifidobacterium species.

    PubMed

    Youn, S Y; Seo, J M; Ji, G E

    2008-01-01

    Bifidobacterium species are known for their beneficial effects on health and their wide use as probiotics. Although various polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the identification of Bifidobacterium species have been published, the reliability of these methods remains open to question. In this study, we evaluated 37 previously reported PCR primer sets designed to amplify 16S rDNA, 23S rDNA, intergenic spacer regions, or repetitive DNA sequences of various Bifidobacterium species. Ten of 37 experimental primer sets showed specificity for B. adolescentis, B. angulatum, B. pseudocatenulatum, B. breve, B. bifidum, B. longum, B. longum biovar infantis and B. dentium. The results suggest that published Bifidobacterium primer sets should be re-evaluated for both reproducibility and specificity for the identification of Bifidobacterium species using PCR. Improvement of existing PCR methods will be needed to facilitate identification of other Bifidobacterium strains, such as B. animalis, B. catenulatum, B. thermophilum and B. subtile.

  14. Phenotypic plasticity to light and nutrient availability alters functional trait ranking across eight perennial grassland species.

    PubMed

    Siebenkäs, Alrun; Schumacher, Jens; Roscher, Christiane

    2015-03-27

    according to functional traits is valid, but trait-based species ranking depends on environmental conditions, thus limiting the applicability of species-specific mean trait values in ecological studies. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

  15. Self-Published Books: An Empirical "Snapshot"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, Jana; Fulton, Bruce; Helm, Marlene

    2012-01-01

    The number of books published by authors using fee-based publication services, such as Lulu and AuthorHouse, is overtaking the number of books published by mainstream publishers, according to Bowker's 2009 annual data. Little empirical research exists on self-published books. This article presents the results of an investigation of a random sample…

  16. How to Publish without Financially Perishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mock, Rodney P.; Savage, Arline; Simkin, Mark G.

    2011-01-01

    Publication agreements vary by publisher and sometimes by contract as well. A number of such agreements now also include indemnity clauses. "Indemnifying a publisher" means agreeing to pay for any loss, damage, or liability incurred by the publisher, or it can mean that the publisher has the right to claim reimbursement for its loss, damage, or…

  17. Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smallwood, Carol, Ed.

    2010-01-01

    Have you ever considered writing or reviewing for the library community? Are you interested in publishing a book on your favorite author or hobby? Do you need to write and publish for tenure? If so, "Writing and Publishing" is for you. Practical how-to guidance covering fiction, poetry, children's books/magazines, self-publishing, literary agents,…

  18. Reporting of participant flow diagrams in published reports of randomized trials.

    PubMed

    Hopewell, Sally; Hirst, Allison; Collins, Gary S; Mallett, Sue; Yu, Ly-Mee; Altman, Douglas G

    2011-12-05

    Reporting of the flow of participants through each stage of a randomized trial is essential to assess the generalisability and validity of its results. We assessed the type and completeness of information reported in CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) flow diagrams published in current reports of randomized trials. A cross sectional review of all primary reports of randomized trials which included a CONSORT flow diagram indexed in PubMed core clinical journals (2009). We assessed the proportion of parallel group trial publications reporting specific items recommended by CONSORT for inclusion in a flow diagram. Of 469 primary reports of randomized trials, 263 (56%) included a CONSORT flow diagram of which 89% (237/263) were published in a CONSORT endorsing journal. Reports published in CONSORT endorsing journals were more likely to include a flow diagram (62%; 237/380 versus 29%; 26/89). Ninety percent (236/263) of reports which included a flow diagram had a parallel group design, of which 49% (116/236) evaluated drug interventions, 58% (137/236) were multicentre, and 79% (187/236) compared two study groups, with a median sample size of 213 participants. Eighty-one percent (191/236) reported the overall number of participants assessed for eligibility, 71% (168/236) the number excluded prior to randomization and 98% (231/236) the overall number randomized. Reasons for exclusion prior to randomization were more poorly reported. Ninety-four percent (223/236) reported the number of participants allocated to each arm of the trial. However, only 40% (95/236) reported the number who actually received the allocated intervention, 67% (158/236) the number lost to follow up in each arm of the trial, 61% (145/236) whether participants discontinued the intervention during the trial and 54% (128/236) the number included in the main analysis. Over half of published reports of randomized trials included a diagram showing the flow of participants through the trial

  19. Reporting of participant flow diagrams in published reports of randomized trials

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Reporting of the flow of participants through each stage of a randomized trial is essential to assess the generalisability and validity of its results. We assessed the type and completeness of information reported in CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) flow diagrams published in current reports of randomized trials. Methods A cross sectional review of all primary reports of randomized trials which included a CONSORT flow diagram indexed in PubMed core clinical journals (2009). We assessed the proportion of parallel group trial publications reporting specific items recommended by CONSORT for inclusion in a flow diagram. Results Of 469 primary reports of randomized trials, 263 (56%) included a CONSORT flow diagram of which 89% (237/263) were published in a CONSORT endorsing journal. Reports published in CONSORT endorsing journals were more likely to include a flow diagram (62%; 237/380 versus 29%; 26/89). Ninety percent (236/263) of reports which included a flow diagram had a parallel group design, of which 49% (116/236) evaluated drug interventions, 58% (137/236) were multicentre, and 79% (187/236) compared two study groups, with a median sample size of 213 participants. Eighty-one percent (191/236) reported the overall number of participants assessed for eligibility, 71% (168/236) the number excluded prior to randomization and 98% (231/236) the overall number randomized. Reasons for exclusion prior to randomization were more poorly reported. Ninety-four percent (223/236) reported the number of participants allocated to each arm of the trial. However, only 40% (95/236) reported the number who actually received the allocated intervention, 67% (158/236) the number lost to follow up in each arm of the trial, 61% (145/236) whether participants discontinued the intervention during the trial and 54% (128/236) the number included in the main analysis. Conclusions Over half of published reports of randomized trials included a diagram showing the

  20. Validation of Structures in the Protein Data Bank.

    PubMed

    Gore, Swanand; Sanz García, Eduardo; Hendrickx, Pieter M S; Gutmanas, Aleksandras; Westbrook, John D; Yang, Huanwang; Feng, Zukang; Baskaran, Kumaran; Berrisford, John M; Hudson, Brian P; Ikegawa, Yasuyo; Kobayashi, Naohiro; Lawson, Catherine L; Mading, Steve; Mak, Lora; Mukhopadhyay, Abhik; Oldfield, Thomas J; Patwardhan, Ardan; Peisach, Ezra; Sahni, Gaurav; Sekharan, Monica R; Sen, Sanchayita; Shao, Chenghua; Smart, Oliver S; Ulrich, Eldon L; Yamashita, Reiko; Quesada, Martha; Young, Jasmine Y; Nakamura, Haruki; Markley, John L; Berman, Helen M; Burley, Stephen K; Velankar, Sameer; Kleywegt, Gerard J

    2017-12-05

    The Worldwide PDB recently launched a deposition, biocuration, and validation tool: OneDep. At various stages of OneDep data processing, validation reports for three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules are produced. These reports are based on recommendations of expert task forces representing crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and cryoelectron microscopy communities. The reports provide useful metrics with which depositors can evaluate the quality of the experimental data, the structural model, and the fit between them. The validation module is also available as a stand-alone web server and as a programmatically accessible web service. A growing number of journals require the official wwPDB validation reports (produced at biocuration) to accompany manuscripts describing macromolecular structures. Upon public release of the structure, the validation report becomes part of the public PDB archive. Geometric quality scores for proteins in the PDB archive have improved over the past decade. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Test validity and performance validity: considerations in providing a framework for development of an ability-focused neuropsychological test battery.

    PubMed

    Larrabee, Glenn J

    2014-11-01

    Literature on test validity and performance validity is reviewed to propose a framework for specification of an ability-focused battery (AFB). Factor analysis supports six domains of ability: first, verbal symbolic; secondly, visuoperceptual and visuospatial judgment and problem solving; thirdly, sensorimotor skills; fourthly, attention/working memory; fifthly, processing speed; finally, learning and memory (which can be divided into verbal and visual subdomains). The AFB should include at least three measures for each of the six domains, selected based on various criteria for validity including sensitivity to presence of disorder, sensitivity to severity of disorder, correlation with important activities of daily living, and containing embedded/derived measures of performance validity. Criterion groups should include moderate and severe traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer's disease. Validation groups should also include patients with left and right hemisphere stroke, to determine measures sensitive to lateralized cognitive impairment and so that the moderating effects of auditory comprehension impairment and neglect can be analyzed on AFB measures. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Dangerous Predatory Publishers Threaten Medical Research.

    PubMed

    Beall, Jeffrey

    2016-10-01

    This article introduces predatory publishers in the context of biomedical sciences research. It describes the characteristics of predatory publishers, including spamming and using fake metrics, and it describes the problems they cause for science and universities. Predatory journals often fail to properly manage peer review, allowing pseudo-science to be published dressed up as authentic science. Academic evaluation is also affected, as some researchers take advantage of the quick, easy, and cheap publishing predatory journals provide. By understanding how predatory publishers operate, researchers can avoid becoming victimized by them.

  3. Peer-review: An IOP Publishing Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Timothy

    2015-03-01

    Online publishing is challenging, and potentially changing, the role of publishers in both managing the peer-review process and disseminating the work that they publish in meeting contrasting needs from diverse groups of research communities. Recognizing the value of peer-review as a fundamental service to authors and the research community, the underlying principles of managing the process for journals published by IOP Publishing remain unchanged and yet the potential and demand for alternative models exists. This talk will discuss the traditional approach to peer-review placed in the context of this changing demand.

  4. Towards Verification and Validation for Increased Autonomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giannakopoulou, Dimitra

    2017-01-01

    This presentation goes over the work we have performed over the last few years on verification and validation of the next generation onboard collision avoidance system, ACAS X, for commercial aircraft. It describes our work on probabilistic verification and synthesis of the model that ACAS X is based on, and goes on to the validation of that model with respect to actual simulation and flight data. The presentation then moves on to identify the characteristics of ACAS X that are related to autonomy and to discuss the challenges that autonomy pauses on VV. All work presented has already been published.

  5. Automated Vision Test Development and Validation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-11-01

    Deputy Chief, Aerosp Med Consultation Div Chair, Aerospace Medicine Department This report is published in the interest of...produce software for desktop displays; and to evaluate features such as user interfaces, threshold algorithms, validity of results, and screening...cost of performing full threshold testing on over 30% of normal subjects, which is quite time consuming. This effort was accomplished using desktop

  6. Actinomyces Species Isolated from Breast Infections.

    PubMed

    Bing, A U; Loh, S F; Morris, T; Hughes, H; Dixon, J M; Helgason, K O

    2015-10-01

    Actinomycosis is a chronic infection caused by Actinomyces species characterized by abscess formation, tissue fibrosis, and draining sinuses. The spectrum of infections caused by Actinomyces species ranges from classical invasive actinomycosis to a less invasive form of superficial skin and soft tissue infection. We present a review detailing all Actinomyces species isolated from breast infections in NHS Lothian between 2005 and 2013, Actinomyces species isolated from breast infections referred to the United Kingdom Anaerobe Reference Unit between 1988 and 2014, and cases describing Actinomyces breast infections published in the medical literature since 1994. Actinomyces species are fastidious organisms which can be difficult to identify and are likely to be underascertained as a cause of breast infections. Due to improved diagnostic methods, they are increasingly associated with chronic, recurrent breast infections and may play a more significant role in these infections than has previously been appreciated. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  7. Model selection and assessment for multi­-species occupancy models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Broms, Kristin M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Fitzpatrick, Ryan M.

    2016-01-01

    While multi-species occupancy models (MSOMs) are emerging as a popular method for analyzing biodiversity data, formal checking and validation approaches for this class of models have lagged behind. Concurrent with the rise in application of MSOMs among ecologists, a quiet regime shift is occurring in Bayesian statistics where predictive model comparison approaches are experiencing a resurgence. Unlike single-species occupancy models that use integrated likelihoods, MSOMs are usually couched in a Bayesian framework and contain multiple levels. Standard model checking and selection methods are often unreliable in this setting and there is only limited guidance in the ecological literature for this class of models. We examined several different contemporary Bayesian hierarchical approaches for checking and validating MSOMs and applied these methods to a freshwater aquatic study system in Colorado, USA, to better understand the diversity and distributions of plains fishes. Our findings indicated distinct differences among model selection approaches, with cross-validation techniques performing the best in terms of prediction.

  8. A microsatellite-based consensus linkage map for species of Eucalyptus and a novel set of 230 microsatellite markers for the genus

    PubMed Central

    Brondani, Rosana PV; Williams, Emlyn R; Brondani, Claudio; Grattapaglia, Dario

    2006-01-01

    Background Eucalypts are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world occupying globally more than 18 million hectares as an important source of carbon neutral renewable energy and raw material for pulp, paper and solid wood. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) in Eucalyptus have been localized on pedigree-specific RAPD or AFLP maps seriously limiting the value of such QTL mapping efforts for molecular breeding. The availability of a genus-wide genetic map with transferable microsatellite markers has become a must for the effective advancement of genomic undertakings. This report describes the development of a novel set of 230 EMBRA microsatellites, the construction of the first comprehensive microsatellite-based consensus linkage map for Eucalyptus and the consolidation of existing linkage information for other microsatellites and candidate genes mapped in other species of the genus. Results The consensus map covers ~90% of the recombining genome of Eucalyptus, involves 234 mapped EMBRA loci on 11 linkage groups, an observed length of 1,568 cM and a mean distance between markers of 8.4 cM. A compilation of all microsatellite linkage information published in Eucalyptus allowed us to establish the homology among linkage groups between this consensus map and other maps published for E. globulus. Comparative mapping analyses also resulted in the linkage group assignment of other 41 microsatellites derived from other Eucalyptus species as well as candidate genes and QTLs for wood and flowering traits published in the literature. This report significantly increases the availability of microsatellite markers and mapping information for species of Eucalyptus and corroborates the high conservation of microsatellite flanking sequences and locus ordering between species of the genus. Conclusion This work represents an important step forward for Eucalyptus comparative genomics, opening stimulating perspectives for evolutionary studies and molecular breeding applications

  9. Hypersonic Experimental and Computational Capability, Improvement and Validation. Volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muylaert, Jean (Editor); Kumar, Ajay (Editor); Dujarric, Christian (Editor)

    1998-01-01

    The results of the phase 2 effort conducted under AGARD Working Group 18 on Hypersonic Experimental and Computational Capability, Improvement and Validation are presented in this report. The first volume, published in May 1996, mainly focused on the design methodology, plans and some initial results of experiments that had been conducted to serve as validation benchmarks. The current volume presents the detailed experimental and computational data base developed during this effort.

  10. The Air Force Officer Qualifying Test: Validity, Fairness, and Bias

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    scores. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, and NCME, 1999) provides a set of guidelines published and endorsed by the...determining the validity and bias of selection tests falls upon professionals in the discipline of industrial/organizational psychology 20 See Roper v. Dep’t...i). 30 The Air Force Officer Qualifying Test : Validity, Fairness, and Bias and closely related fields (e.g., educational psychology and

  11. A Comprehensive Critique and Review of Published Measures of Acne Severity

    PubMed Central

    Furber, Gareth; Leach, Matthew; Segal, Leonie

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Acne vulgaris is a dynamic, complex condition that is notoriously difficult to evaluate. The authors set out to critically evaluate currently available measures of acne severity, particularly in terms of suitability for use in clinical trials. Design: A systematic review was conducted to identify methods used to measure acne severity, using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Wiley Online. Each method was critically reviewed and given a score out of 13 based on eight quality criteria under two broad groupings of psychometric testing and suitability for research and evaluation. Results: Twenty-four methods for assessing acne severity were identified. Four scales received a quality score of zero, and 11 scored ≤3. The highest rated scales achieved a total score of 6. Six scales reported strong inter-rater reliability (ICC>0.75), and four reported strong intra-rater reliability (ICC>0.75). The poor overall performance of most scales, largely characterized by the absence of reliability testing or evidence for independent assessment and validation indicates that generally, their application in clinical trials is not supported. Conclusion: This review and appraisal of instruments for measuring acne severity supports previously identified concerns regarding the quality of published measures. It highlights the need for a valid and reliable acne severity scale, especially for use in research and evaluation. The ideal scale would demonstrate adequate validation and reliability and be easily implemented for third-party analysis. The development of such a scale is critical to interpreting results of trials and facilitating the pooling of results for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. PMID:27672410

  12. Revision of the western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes Wesmael (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae). Part 1: Introduction, key to species groups, outlying distinctive species, and revisionary notes on some further species

    PubMed Central

    van Achterberg, Cornelis; Shaw, Mark R.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Seven new species of the genus Aleiodes Wesmael, 1838 (Braconidae: Rogadinae) are described and illustrated: Aleiodes abraxanae sp. n., Aleiodes angustipterus sp. n., Aleiodes artesiariae sp. n., Aleiodes carminatus sp. n., Aleiodes diarsianae sp. n., Aleiodes leptofemur sp. n., and Aleiodes ryrholmi sp. n. A neotype is designated for each of Aleiodes circumscriptus (Nees, 1834) and Aleiodes pictus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838), and both species are redescribed and illustrated. Aleiodes ochraceus Hellén, 1927 (not Aleiodes ochraceus (Curtis, 1834)) is renamed as Aleiodes curticornis nom. n. & stat. rev., and redescribed and illustrated. Aleiodes bistrigatus Roman, 1917, Aleiodes nigriceps Wesmael, 1838, and Aleiodes reticulatus (Noskiewicz, 1956), are re-instated as valid species. A lectotype is designated for Aleiodes bistrigatus Roman. An illustrated key is given to some distinctive species and the residual species groups along which further parts of an entire revision of western Palaearctic species of Aleiodes and Heterogamus will be organised. Biology, host associations and phenology are discussed for the keyed species (in addition to the above, Aleiodes albitibia (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838), Aleiodes apiculatus (Fahringer, 1932), Aleiodes arcticus (Thomson, 1892), Aleiodes cantherius (Lyle, 1919), Aleiodes esenbeckii (Hartig, 1834), Aleiodes jakowlewi (Kokujev, 1898), Aleiodes modestus (Reinhard, 1863), Aleiodes nigricornis Wesmael, 1838, Aleiodes pallidator (Thunberg, 1822), Aleiodes praetor (Reinhard, 1863), Aleiodes seriatus (Herrich- Schäffer, 1838) sensu lato, Aleiodes testaceus (Telenga, 1941), Aleiodes ungularis (Thomson, 1892), and Aleiodes varius (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838)) which are dealt with in full here (with the exception of Aleiodes seriatus s.l. which is, however, included in the key). The experimental methodology covering the revision as a whole, which involves some behavioural investigation, is outlined. PMID:28138281

  13. Validation of radio-frequency dielectric heating system for destruction of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella species in nonfat dry milk.

    PubMed

    Michael, M; Phebus, R K; Thippareddi, H; Subbiah, J; Birla, S L; Schmidt, K A

    2014-12-01

    Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella species have been associated with human illnesses from consumption of contaminated nonfat dry milk (NDM), a key ingredient in powdered infant formula and many other foods. Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella spp. can survive the spray-drying process if milk is contaminated after pasteurization, and the dried product can be contaminated from environmental sources. Compared with conventional heating, radio-frequency dielectric heating (RFDH) is a faster and more uniform process for heating low-moisture foods. The objective of this study was to design an RFDH process to achieve target destruction (log reductions) of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. The thermal destruction (decimal reduction time; D-value) of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. in NDM (high-heat, HH; and low-heat, LH) was determined at 75, 80, 85, or 90 °C using a thermal-death-time (TDT) disk method, and the z-values (the temperature increase required to obtain a decimal reduction of the D-value) were calculated. Time and temperature requirements to achieve specific destruction of the pathogens were calculated from the thermal destruction parameters, and the efficacy of the RFDH process was validated by heating NDM using RFDH to achieve the target temperatures and holding the product in a convection oven for the required period. Linear regression was used to determine the D-values and z-values. The D-values of C. sakazakii in HH- and LH-NDM were 24.86 and 23.0 min at 75 °C, 13.75 and 7.52 min at 80 °C, 8.0 and 6.03 min at 85 °C, and 5.57 and 5.37 min at 90 °C, respectively. The D-values of Salmonella spp. in HH- and LH-NDM were 23.02 and 24.94 min at 75 °C, 10.45 and 12.54 min at 80 °C, 8.63 and 8.68 min at 85 °C, and 5.82 and 4.55 min at 90 °C, respectively. The predicted and observed destruction of C. sakazakii and Salmonella spp. were in agreement, indicating that the behavior of the organisms was similar regardless of the heating system (conventional vs

  14. Human myiasis in New Zealand: imported and indigenously-acquired cases: the species of concern and clinical aspects.

    PubMed

    Derraik, Jose G B; Heath, Allen C G; Rademaker, Marius

    2010-09-10

    Reports of myiasis in humans in New Zealand are somewhat rare, and little attention has been paid to this issue in the local medical literature. A number of Diptera (fly) families present in New Zealand have been associated with cases of human myiasis: Calliphoridae (7 species), Fanniidae (2 species), Muscidae (3 species), Oestridae (4 species), Phoridae (3 species), Psychodidae (1 species), Sarcophagidae (2 species), Stratiomyidae (1 species) and Syrphidae (1 species). Despite these numbers, there have only been 6 published records and we obtained further 16 unpublished reports of myiasis acquired in New Zealand. Records of imported myiasis in humans are also rare, with only 2 published and 6 unpublished cases obtained. As many medical practitioners are unaware of myiasis or encounter it rarely, we provide a brief discussion of the clinical features and treatment.

  15. External validation of the Cairns Prediction Model (CPM) to predict conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy.

    PubMed

    Hu, Alan Shiun Yew; Donohue, Peter O'; Gunnarsson, Ronny K; de Costa, Alan

    2018-03-14

    Valid and user-friendly prediction models for conversion to open cholecystectomy allow for proper planning prior to surgery. The Cairns Prediction Model (CPM) has been in use clinically in the original study site for the past three years, but has not been tested at other sites. A retrospective, single-centred study collected ultrasonic measurements and clinical variables alongside with conversion status from consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 2013 to 2016 in The Townsville Hospital, North Queensland, Australia. An area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to externally validate of the CPM. Conversion was necessary in 43 (4.2%) out of 1035 patients. External validation showed an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.82-0.93, p = 1.1 × 10 -14 ). In comparison with most previously published models, which have an AUC of approximately 0.80 or less, the CPM has the highest AUC of all published prediction models both for internal and external validation. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Choosing the Right Desktop Publisher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eiser, Leslie

    1988-01-01

    Investigates the many different desktop publishing packages available today. Lists the steps to desktop publishing. Suggests which package to use with specific hardware available. Compares several packages for IBM, Mac, and Apple II based systems. (MVL)

  17. Rarity and Incomplete Sampling in DNA-Based Species Delimitation.

    PubMed

    Ahrens, Dirk; Fujisawa, Tomochika; Krammer, Hans-Joachim; Eberle, Jonas; Fabrizi, Silvia; Vogler, Alfried P

    2016-05-01

    DNA-based species delimitation may be compromised by limited sampling effort and species rarity, including "singleton" representatives of species, which hampers estimates of intra- versus interspecies evolutionary processes. In a case study of southern African chafers (beetles in the family Scarabaeidae), many species and subclades were poorly represented and 48.5% of species were singletons. Using cox1 sequences from >500 specimens and ∼100 species, the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analysis as well as various other approaches for DNA-based species delimitation (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Poisson tree processes (PTP), Species Identifier, Statistical Parsimony), frequently produced poor results if analyzing a narrow target group only, but the performance improved when several subclades were combined. Hence, low sampling may be compensated for by "clade addition" of lineages outside of the focal group. Similar findings were obtained in reanalysis of published data sets of taxonomically poorly known species assemblages of insects from Madagascar. The low performance of undersampled trees is not due to high proportions of singletons per se, as shown in simulations (with 13%, 40% and 52% singletons). However, the GMYC method was highly sensitive to variable effective population size ([Formula: see text]), which was exacerbated by variable species abundances in the simulations. Hence, low sampling success and rarity of species affect the power of the GMYC method only if they reflect great differences in [Formula: see text] among species. Potential negative effects of skewed species abundances and prevalence of singletons are ultimately an issue about the variation in [Formula: see text] and the degree to which this is correlated with the census population size and sampling success. Clade addition beyond a limited study group can overcome poor sampling for the GMYC method in particular under variable [Formula: see text] This effect was less

  18. Sensitivity, specificity and comparison of three commercially available immunological tests in the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium species in animals.

    PubMed

    Danišová, Olga; Halánová, Monika; Valenčáková, Alexandra; Luptáková, Lenka

    The study was conducted to compare the specificity of immunological diagnostic methods used for the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium species capable of causing life-threatening infection in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients. For the detection of Cryptosporidium species in 79 animals with diarrhoea, we used three Copro-antigen tests: RIDASCREEN ® Cryptosporidium test, Cryptosporidium 2nd Generation (ELISA) and RIDA ® QUICK Cryptosporidium. For immunoassays we used positive and negative samples detected by means of polymerase chain reaction and validated by sequencing and nested polymerase chain reaction to confirm the presence six different species of Cryptosporidium species. Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in the entire group determined by enzyme immunoassay, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, immuno-chromatographic test and polymerase chain reaction was 34.17%, 27.84%, 6.33% and 27.84%, respectively. Sensitivity of animal samples with enzyme immunoassay, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and immuno-chromatographic test was 63.6%, 40.9% and 22.7%, resp., when questionable samples were considered positive, whereas specificity of enzyme immunoassay, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and immuno-chromatographic test was 75.9%, 78.9% and 100%, respectively. Positive predictive values and negative predictive values were different for all the tests. These differences results are controversial and therefore reliability and reproducibility of immunoassays as the only diagnostic method is questionable. The use of various Cryptosporidium species in diagnosis based on immunological testing and different results obtained by individual tests indicate potential differences in Copro-antigens produced by individual Cryptosporidium species. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. Validating genomic reliabilities and gains from phenotypic updates

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Reliability can be validated from the variance of the difference of earlier and later estimated breeding values as a fraction of the genetic variance. This new method avoids using squared correlations that can be biased downward by selection. Published genomic reliabilities of U.S. young bulls agree...

  20. Elfin butterflies of the genus Rhamma Johnson (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae): A review of the Colombian species.

    PubMed

    Prieto, Carlos; Vargas, Maria A

    2016-03-22

    The Colombian species of the genus Rhamma Johnson, 1992 are revised. Male and female phenotypes of all species are associated and diagnosed, and data on their distributions are given along with a discussion of the geographic variability of the species. Thirteen taxa are considered valid at the species level. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: Rhamma andradei (Le Crom & Johnson), stat. nov, comb. nov.; previously considered a nomen dubium in Penaincisalia Johnson, the taxon is considered a valid species of Rhamma. The placement of Rhamma anosma (Draudt), comb. nov., described as Thecla, is confirmed as belonging to Rhamma. A lectotype is designated for Thecla mishma Hewitson, 1878. Adults, male and female genitalia, and distribution maps are depicted for all species, along with an identification key based on adults.

  1. Publishing for Learned Societies: The Secret Life of a Scholarly Publisher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholson, David

    Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and the merger between Blackwell and Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals including Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and Astronomische Nachrichten, and has relationships with over 800 learned societies. The "secret life" of the article's title refers to the two broad areas of activity we undertake for our society partners, namely practical assistance and strategic advice. One of our goals at Wiley-Blackwell is to set the standard for both areas, and this article illustrates how we are doing this with a series of tangible examples.

  2. New cryptic species of the 'revolutum' group of Echinostoma (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) revealed by molecular and morphological data.

    PubMed

    Georgieva, Simona; Selbach, Christian; Faltýnková, Anna; Soldánová, Miroslava; Sures, Bernd; Skírnisson, Karl; Kostadinova, Aneta

    2013-03-13

    The digenean species of Echinostoma (Echinostomatidae) with 37 collar spines that comprise the so-called 'revolutum' species complex, qualify as cryptic due to the interspecific homogeneity of characters used to differentiate species. Only five species were considered valid in the most recent revision of the group but recent molecular studies have demonstrated a higher diversity within the group. In a study of the digeneans parasitising molluscs in central and northern Europe we found that Radix auricularia, R. peregra and Stagnicola palustris were infected with larval stages of two cryptic species of the 'revolutum' complex, one resembling E. revolutum and one undescribed species, Echinostoma sp. IG. This paper provides morphological and molecular evidence for their delimitation. Totals of 2,030 R. auricularia, 357 R. peregra and 577 S. palustris were collected in seven reservoirs of the River Ruhr catchment area in Germany and a total of 573 R. peregra was collected in five lakes in Iceland. Cercariae were examined and identified live and fixed in molecular grade ethanol for DNA isolation and in hot/cold 4% formaldehyde solution for obtaining measurements from fixed materials. Partial fragments of the mitochondrial gene nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) were amplified for 14 isolates. Detailed examination of cercarial morphology allowed us to differentiate the cercariae of the two Echinostoma spp. of the 'revolutum' species complex. A total of 14 partial nad1 sequences was generated and aligned with selected published sequences for eight species of the 'revolutum' species complex. Both NJ and BI analyses resulted in consensus trees with similar topologies in which the isolates from Europe formed strongly supported reciprocally monophyletic lineages. The analyses also provided evidence that North American isolates identified as E. revolutum represent another cryptic species of the 'revolutum' species complex. Our findings highlight

  3. Endangered species and nature conservation: science issues and challenges.

    PubMed

    Szaro, Robert C

    2008-06-01

    The issues and challenges facing us in ensuring the survival of as many species and ecosystems as possible call for a renewed research focus to address how to improve management strategies and policy making now and into the future. The key issues to be addressed by activities of the International Union of Forest Research Organization's (IUFRO) Task Force on Endangered Species and Nature Conservation include such issues as: (i) preventing species from being listed by maintaining species populations at sufficient levels that they do not require listing; (ii) recovering threatened and endangered species; (iii) developing management practices and strategies; (iv) balancing actions affecting suites of threatened or endangered species; (v) developing conservation strategies for species without definitive taxonomic treatments; (vi) dealing with global change; (vii) dealing with invasive species; and (viii) restoring critical habitats. © 2008 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

  4. 78 FR 279 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-03

    ...On November 26, 2012, NMFS published a proposed rule for Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in response to several shark stock assessments that were completed from 2009 to 2012. As described in the proposed rule, NMFS is proposing measures that would reduce fishing mortality and effort in order to rebuild overfished Atlantic shark species while ensuring that a limited sustainable shark fishery can be maintained consistent with our legal obligations and the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP as amended. The proposed measures include changes to commercial quotas and species groups, the creation of several time/ area closures, a change to an existing time/area closure, an increase in the recreational minimum size restrictions, and the establishment of recreational reporting for certain species of sharks. Comments received by NMFS will be considered in the development and finalization of Amendment 5 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This notice announces the rescheduling of the Louisiana public hearing and the addition of two public hearings in Maryland and Texas.

  5. STBase: one million species trees for comparative biology.

    PubMed

    McMahon, Michelle M; Deepak, Akshay; Fernández-Baca, David; Boss, Darren; Sanderson, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    Comprehensively sampled phylogenetic trees provide the most compelling foundations for strong inferences in comparative evolutionary biology. Mismatches are common, however, between the taxa for which comparative data are available and the taxa sampled by published phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, many published phylogenies are gene trees, which cannot always be adapted immediately for species level comparisons because of discordance, gene duplication, and other confounding biological processes. A new database, STBase, lets comparative biologists quickly retrieve species level phylogenetic hypotheses in response to a query list of species names. The database consists of 1 million single- and multi-locus data sets, each with a confidence set of 1000 putative species trees, computed from GenBank sequence data for 413,000 eukaryotic taxa. Two bodies of theoretical work are leveraged to aid in the assembly of multi-locus concatenated data sets for species tree construction. First, multiply labeled gene trees are pruned to conflict-free singly-labeled species-level trees that can be combined between loci. Second, impacts of missing data in multi-locus data sets are ameliorated by assembling only decisive data sets. Data sets overlapping with the user's query are ranked using a scheme that depends on user-provided weights for tree quality and for taxonomic overlap of the tree with the query. Retrieval times are independent of the size of the database, typically a few seconds. Tree quality is assessed by a real-time evaluation of bootstrap support on just the overlapping subtree. Associated sequence alignments, tree files and metadata can be downloaded for subsequent analysis. STBase provides a tool for comparative biologists interested in exploiting the most relevant sequence data available for the taxa of interest. It may also serve as a prototype for future species tree oriented databases and as a resource for assembly of larger species phylogenies from precomputed

  6. STBase: One Million Species Trees for Comparative Biology

    PubMed Central

    McMahon, Michelle M.; Deepak, Akshay; Fernández-Baca, David; Boss, Darren; Sanderson, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    Comprehensively sampled phylogenetic trees provide the most compelling foundations for strong inferences in comparative evolutionary biology. Mismatches are common, however, between the taxa for which comparative data are available and the taxa sampled by published phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, many published phylogenies are gene trees, which cannot always be adapted immediately for species level comparisons because of discordance, gene duplication, and other confounding biological processes. A new database, STBase, lets comparative biologists quickly retrieve species level phylogenetic hypotheses in response to a query list of species names. The database consists of 1 million single- and multi-locus data sets, each with a confidence set of 1000 putative species trees, computed from GenBank sequence data for 413,000 eukaryotic taxa. Two bodies of theoretical work are leveraged to aid in the assembly of multi-locus concatenated data sets for species tree construction. First, multiply labeled gene trees are pruned to conflict-free singly-labeled species-level trees that can be combined between loci. Second, impacts of missing data in multi-locus data sets are ameliorated by assembling only decisive data sets. Data sets overlapping with the user’s query are ranked using a scheme that depends on user-provided weights for tree quality and for taxonomic overlap of the tree with the query. Retrieval times are independent of the size of the database, typically a few seconds. Tree quality is assessed by a real-time evaluation of bootstrap support on just the overlapping subtree. Associated sequence alignments, tree files and metadata can be downloaded for subsequent analysis. STBase provides a tool for comparative biologists interested in exploiting the most relevant sequence data available for the taxa of interest. It may also serve as a prototype for future species tree oriented databases and as a resource for assembly of larger species phylogenies from precomputed

  7. The Changing Business of Scholarly Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Karen

    1993-01-01

    Discussion of changes and trends in scholarly publishing highlights monographs; journals; user-centered publishing; electronic products and services, including adding value, marketing strategies, and new pricing systems; changing attitudes regarding copyright; trends in publishing industry reorganization; and impacts on research libraries. (LRW)

  8. A Review of Validation Research on Psychological Variables Used in Hiring Police Officers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malouff, John M.; Schutte Nicola S.

    This paper reviews the methods and findings of published research on the validity of police selection procedures. As a preface to the review, the typical police officer selection process is briefly described. Several common methodological deficiencies of the validation research are identified and discussed in detail: (1) use of past-selection…

  9. Plasma cortisol and 11-ketotestosterone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit validation for three fish species: the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula, the orangefin anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus and the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus.

    PubMed

    Mills, S C; Mourier, J; Galzin, R

    2010-08-01

    Commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits were validated for measuring steroid hormone concentrations in blood plasma from three fish species: the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula, the orangefin anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus and the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus. A minimum of 5 microl plasma was required to estimate hormone concentrations with both kits. These EIA kits are a simple method requiring minimal equipment, for measuring hormone profiles under field conditions.

  10. The Trouble with MEAM2: Implications of Pseudogenes on Species Delimitation in the Globally Invasive Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Cryptic Species Complex.

    PubMed

    Tay, Wee Tek; Elfekih, Samia; Court, Leon N; Gordon, Karl H J; Delatte, Hélène; De Barro, Paul J

    2017-10-01

    Molecular species identification using suboptimal PCR primers can over-estimate species diversity due to coamplification of nuclear mitochondrial (NUMT) DNA/pseudogenes. For the agriculturally important whitefly Bemisia tabaci cryptic pest species complex, species identification depends primarily on characterization of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (mtDNA COI) gene. The lack of robust PCR primers for the mtDNA COI gene can undermine correct species identification which in turn compromises management strategies. This problem is identified in the B. tabaci Africa/Middle East/Asia Minor clade which comprises the globally invasive Mediterranean (MED) and Middle East Asia Minor I (MEAM1) species, Middle East Asia Minor 2 (MEAM2), and the Indian Ocean (IO) species. Initially identified from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, MEAM2 has since been reported from Japan, Peru, Turkey and Iraq. We identified MEAM2 individuals from a Peruvian population via Sanger sequencing of the mtDNA COI gene. In attempting to characterize the MEAM2 mitogenome, we instead characterized mitogenomes of MEAM1. We also report on the mitogenomes of MED, AUS, and IO thereby increasing genomic resources for members of this complex. Gene synteny (i.e., same gene composition and orientation) was observed with published B. tabaci cryptic species mitogenomes. Pseudogene fragments matching MEAM2 partial mtDNA COI gene exhibited low frequency single nucleotide polymorphisms that matched low copy number DNA fragments (<3%) of MEAM1 genomes, whereas presence of internal stop codons, loss of expected stop codons and poor primer annealing sites, all suggested MEAM2 as a pseudogene artifact and so not a real species. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  11. Integrated Disposal Facility FY 2016: ILAW Verification and Validation of the eSTOMP Simulator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Freedman, Vicky L.; Bacon, Diana H.; Fang, Yilin

    2016-05-13

    This document describes two sets of simulations carried out to further verify and validate the eSTOMP simulator. In this report, a distinction is made between verification and validation, and the focus is on verifying eSTOMP through a series of published benchmarks on cementitious wastes, and validating eSTOMP based on a lysimeter experiment for the glassified waste. These activities are carried out within the context of a scientific view of validation that asserts that models can only be invalidated, and that model validation (and verification) is a subjective assessment.

  12. 47 CFR 64.2337 - Directory publishing purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Directory publishing purposes. 64.2337 Section... publishing purposes. (a) Except to the extent the carrier and directory publisher otherwise agree, a... Communications Act or § 64.2309 only for the purpose of publishing directories. (b) A directory publisher uses...

  13. Insufficient sampling to identify species affected by turbine collisions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beston, Julie A.; Diffendorfer, James E.; Loss, Scott

    2015-01-01

    We compared the number of avian species detected and the sampling effort during fatality monitoring at 50 North American wind facilities. Facilities with short intervals between sampling events and high effort detected more species, but many facilities appeared undersampled. Species accumulation curves for 2 wind facilities studied for more than 1 year had yet to reach an asymptote. The monitoring effort that is typically invested is likely inadequate to identify all of the species killed by wind turbines. This may understate impacts for rare species of conservation concern that collide infrequently with turbines but suffer disproportionate consequences from those fatalities. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  14. Ethics in Scientific Publishing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sage, Leslie J.

    2012-08-01

    We all learn in elementary school not turn in other people's writing as if it were our own (plagiarism), and in high school science labs not to fake our data. But there are many other practices in scientific publishing that are depressingly common and almost as unethical. At about the 20 percent level authors are deliberately hiding recent work -- by themselves as well as by others -- so as to enhance the apparent novelty of their most recent paper. Some people lie about the dates the data were obtained, to cover up conflicts of interest, or inappropriate use of privileged information. Others will publish the same conference proceeding in multiple volumes, or publish the same result in multiple journals with only trivial additions of data or analysis (self-plagiarism). These shady practices should be roundly condemned and stopped. I will discuss these and other unethical actions I have seen over the years, and steps editors are taking to stop them.

  15. Librarians and Publishers: An Uneasy Dance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuman, Patricia Glass

    1994-01-01

    Discusses the relationship between the library and publishing communities and issues that impact the relationship. Topics covered include an overview of cooperative efforts and tensions created by issues such as photocopying and copyright, repackaging of government information by commercial publishers, the power of publishing conglomerates, and…

  16. 7 CFR 370.2 - Published materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Published materials. 370.2 Section 370.2 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION § 370.2 Published materials. Rules and regulations of APHIS relating to its regulatory responsibilities are continuously published in the Federal Register, and...

  17. Higher sensitivity and lower specificity in post-fire mortality model validation of 11 western US tree species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kane, Jeffrey M.; van Mantgem, Phillip J.; Lalemand, Laura; Keifer, MaryBeth

    2017-01-01

    Managers require accurate models to predict post-fire tree mortality to plan prescribed fire treatments and examine their effectiveness. Here we assess the performance of a common post-fire tree mortality model with an independent dataset of 11 tree species from 13 National Park Service units in the western USA. Overall model discrimination was generally strong, but performance varied considerably among species and sites. The model tended to have higher sensitivity (proportion of correctly classified dead trees) and lower specificity (proportion of correctly classified live trees) for many species, indicating an overestimation of mortality. Variation in model accuracy (percentage of live and dead trees correctly classified) among species was not related to sample size or percentage observed mortality. However, we observed a positive relationship between specificity and a species-specific bark thickness multiplier, indicating that overestimation was more common in thin-barked species. Accuracy was also quite low for thinner bark classes (<1 cm) for many species, leading to poorer model performance. Our results indicate that a common post-fire mortality model generally performs well across a range of species and sites; however, some thin-barked species and size classes would benefit from further refinement to improve model specificity.

  18. New records of ant species from Yunnan, China

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Cong; Guénard, Benoit; Garcia, Francisco Hita; Yamane, Seiki; Blanchard, Benjamin; Yang, Da-Rong; Economo, Evan

    2015-01-01

    Abstract As with many other regions of the world, significant collecting, curation, and taxonomic efforts will be needed to complete the inventory of China’s ant fauna. This is especially true for the highly diverse tropical regions in the south of the country, where moist tropical forests harbor high species richness typical of the Southeast Asian region. We inventoried ants in the Xingshuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan, in June 2013, using a variety of methods including Winkler extraction and hand collection to sample ant diversity. We identified 213 species/morphospecies of ants from 10 subfamilies and 61 genera. After identification of 148 valid species of the 213 total species collected, 40 species represent new records for Yunnan province and 17 species are newly recorded for China. This increases the total number of named ant species in Yunnan and China to 447 and 951 respectively. The most common species collected were Brachyponera luteipes and Vollenhovia emeryi. Only one confirmed exotic species Strumigenys membranifera, was collected, although several others were potentially introduced by humans. These results highlight the high biodiversity value of the region, but also underscore how much work remains to fully document the native myrmecofauna. PMID:25685004

  19. The quality of control groups in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Shepard P; Malay, Sunitha; Chung, Kevin C

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate control group selection in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery American (JHS). We reviewed all papers published in JHS in 2013 to identify studies that used nonrandomized control groups. Data collected included type of study design and control group characteristics. We then appraised studies to determine whether authors discussed confounding and selection bias and how they controlled for confounding. Thirty-seven nonrandomized studies were published in JHS in 2013. The source of control was either the same institution as the study group, a different institution, a database, or not provided in the manuscript. Twenty-nine (78%) studies statistically compared key characteristics between control and study group. Confounding was controlled with matching, exclusion criteria, or regression analysis. Twenty-two (59%) papers explicitly discussed the threat of confounding and 18 (49%) identified sources of selection bias. In our review of nonrandomized studies published in JHS, papers had well-defined controls that were similar to the study group, allowing for reasonable comparisons. However, we identified substantial confounding and bias that were not addressed as explicit limitations, which might lead the reader to overestimate the scientific validity of the data. Incorporating a brief discussion of control group selection in scientific manuscripts should help readers interpret the study more appropriately. Authors, reviewers, and editors should strive to address this component of clinical importance. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Validation of Multitemperature Nozzle Flow Code

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Park, Chul; Lee, Seung -Ho.

    1994-01-01

    A computer code nozzle in n-temperatures (NOZNT), which calculates one-dimensional flows of partially dissociated and ionized air in an expanding nozzle, is tested against three existing sets of experimental data taken in arcjet wind tunnels. The code accounts for the differences among various temperatures, i.e., translational-rotational temperature, vibrational temperatures of individual molecular species, and electron-electronic temperature, and the effects of impurities. The experimental data considered are (1) the spectroscopic emission data; (2) electron beam data on vibrational temperature; and (3) mass-spectrometric species concentration data. It is shown that the impurities are inconsequential for the arcjet flows, and the NOZNT code is validated by numerically reproducing the experimental data.

  1. Basics of Desktop Publishing. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beeby, Ellen; Crummett, Jerrie

    This document contains teacher and student materials for a basic course in desktop publishing. Six units of instruction cover the following: (1) introduction to desktop publishing; (2) desktop publishing systems; (3) software; (4) type selection; (5) document design; and (6) layout. The teacher edition contains some or all of the following…

  2. 10 CFR 781.63 - Published notices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Published notices. 781.63 Section 781.63 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DOE PATENT LICENSING REGULATIONS Procedures § 781.63 Published notices. (a) A notice of a proposed exclusive license or partially exclusive licenses shall be published in the Federal Register, and...

  3. 9 CFR 390.2 - Published materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Published materials. 390.2 Section 390... § 390.2 Published materials. FSIS rules and regulations relating to its regulatory responsibilities and administrative procedures are published and made available to the public in the Federal Register and codified in...

  4. The Decision to Publish Electronically.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craig, Gary

    1983-01-01

    Argues that decision to publish a given intellectual product "electronically" is a business decision based on customer needs, available format alternatives, current business climate, and variety of already existing factors. Publishers are most influenced by customers' acceptance of new products and their own role as intermediaries in…

  5. CpDNA-based species identification and phylogeography: application to African tropical tree species.

    PubMed

    Duminil, J; Heuertz, M; Doucet, J-L; Bourland, N; Cruaud, C; Gavory, F; Doumenge, C; Navascués, M; Hardy, O J

    2010-12-01

    Despite the importance of the African tropical rainforests as a hotspot of biodiversity, their history and the processes that have structured their biodiversity are understood poorly. With respect to past demographic processes, new insights can be gained through characterizing the distribution of genetic diversity. However, few studies of this type have been conducted in Central Africa, where the identification of species in the field can be difficult. We examine here the distribution of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) diversity in Lower Guinea in two tree species that are difficult to distinguish, Erythrophleum ivorense and Erythrophleum suaveolens (Fabaceae). By using a blind-sampling approach and comparing molecular and morphological markers, we first identified retrospectively all sampled individuals and determined the limits of the distribution of each species. We then performed a phylogeographic study using the same genetic data set. The two species displayed essentially parapatric distributions that were correlated well with the rainfall gradient, which indicated different ecological requirements. In addition, a phylogeographic structure was found for E. suaveolens and, for both species, substantially higher levels of diversity and allelic endemism were observed in the south (Gabon) than in the north (Cameroon) of the Lower Guinea region. This finding indicated different histories of population demographics for the two species, which might reflect different responses to Quaternary climate changes. We suggest that a recent period of forest perturbation, which might have been caused by humans, favoured the spread of these two species and that their poor recruitment at present results from natural succession in their forest formations. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Undergraduates improve upon published crystal structure in class assignment.

    PubMed

    Horowitz, Scott; Koldewey, Philipp; Bardwell, James C

    2014-01-01

    Recently, 57 undergraduate students at the University of Michigan were assigned the task of solving a crystal structure, given only the electron density map of a 1.3 Å crystal structure from the electron density server, and the position of the N-terminal amino acid. To test their knowledge of amino acid chemistry, the students were not given the protein sequence. With minimal direction from the instructor on how the students should complete the assignment, the students fared remarkably well in this task, with over half the class able to reconstruct the original sequence with over 77% sequence identity, and with structures whose median ranked in the 91(st) percentile of all structures of comparable resolution in terms of structure quality. Fourteen percent of the students' structures produced Molprobity steric clash validation scores even better than that of the original structure, suggesting that multiple students achieved an improvement in the overall structure quality compared to the published structure. Students were able to delineate limiting case chemical environments, such as charged interactions or complete solvent exposure, but were less able to distinguish finer details of hydrogen bonding or hydrophobicity. Our results prompt several questions: why were students able to perform so well in their structural validation scores? How were some students able to outperform the 88% sequence identity mark that would constitute a perfect score, given the level of degenerate density or surface residues with poor density? And how can the methodology used by the best students inform the practices of professional X-ray crystallographers? Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Validation of Yoon's Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument.

    PubMed

    Shin, Hyunsook; Park, Chang Gi; Kim, Hyojin

    2015-12-01

    The lack of reliable and valid evaluation tools targeting Korean nursing students' critical thinking (CT) abilities has been reported as one of the barriers to instructing and evaluating students in undergraduate programs. Yoon's Critical Thinking Disposition (YCTD) instrument was developed for Korean nursing students, but few studies have assessed its validity. This study aimed to validate the YCTD. Specifically, the YCTD was assessed to identify its cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement invariance. This was a validation study in which a cross-sectional and longitudinal (prenursing and postnursing practicum) survey was used to validate the YCTD using 345 nursing students at three universities in Seoul, Korea. The participants' CT abilities were assessed using the YCTD before and after completing an established pediatric nursing practicum. The validity of the YCTD was estimated and then group invariance test using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the measurement compatibility of multigroups. A test of the seven-factor model showed that the YCTD demonstrated good construct validity. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis findings for the measurement invariance suggested that this model structure demonstrated strong invariance between groups (i.e., configural, factor loading, and intercept combined) but weak invariance within a group (i.e., configural and factor loading combined). In general, traditional methods for assessing instrument validity have been less than thorough. In this study, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis using cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement data allowed validation of the YCTD. This study concluded that the YCTD can be used for evaluating Korean nursing students' CT abilities. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. 34 CFR 5.14 - Published documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Published documents. 5.14 Section 5.14 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC PURSUANT TO PUB. L. 90-23 (Eff. until 7-14-10) What Records Are Available § 5.14 Published documents. Published...

  9. Potential Energy Surfaces and Dynamics of High Energy Species

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-13

    explored include ionic liquids and a range of high-nitrogen content and nitrogen-oxygen content species. Polyhedral oligomeric silisesquioxanes are...Approved for Public Release 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Several papers on ionic liquids have been published or submitted as a result of this...in energetic ionic liquids . These are variously substituted triazolium, tertazolium, and pentazolium cations. The heats of formation of all species

  10. Establishing macroecological trait datasets: digitalization, extrapolation, and validation of diet preferences in terrestrial mammals worldwide

    PubMed Central

    Kissling, Wilm Daniel; Dalby, Lars; Fløjgaard, Camilla; Lenoir, Jonathan; Sandel, Brody; Sandom, Christopher; Trøjelsgaard, Kristian; Svenning, Jens-Christian

    2014-01-01

    Ecological trait data are essential for understanding the broad-scale distribution of biodiversity and its response to global change. For animals, diet represents a fundamental aspect of species’ evolutionary adaptations, ecological and functional roles, and trophic interactions. However, the importance of diet for macroevolutionary and macroecological dynamics remains little explored, partly because of the lack of comprehensive trait datasets. We compiled and evaluated a comprehensive global dataset of diet preferences of mammals (“MammalDIET”). Diet information was digitized from two global and cladewide data sources and errors of data entry by multiple data recorders were assessed. We then developed a hierarchical extrapolation procedure to fill-in diet information for species with missing information. Missing data were extrapolated with information from other taxonomic levels (genus, other species within the same genus, or family) and this extrapolation was subsequently validated both internally (with a jack-knife approach applied to the compiled species-level diet data) and externally (using independent species-level diet information from a comprehensive continentwide data source). Finally, we grouped mammal species into trophic levels and dietary guilds, and their species richness as well as their proportion of total richness were mapped at a global scale for those diet categories with good validation results. The success rate of correctly digitizing data was 94%, indicating that the consistency in data entry among multiple recorders was high. Data sources provided species-level diet information for a total of 2033 species (38% of all 5364 terrestrial mammal species, based on the IUCN taxonomy). For the remaining 3331 species, diet information was mostly extrapolated from genus-level diet information (48% of all terrestrial mammal species), and only rarely from other species within the same genus (6%) or from family level (8%). Internal and external

  11. Academic Librarians and Publishers: Customers versus Producers or Partners in the Planning of Electronic Publishing?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Karen

    1988-01-01

    Proposes that academic librarians and publishers should view themselves as partners rather than adversaries. Following a discussion of premises, problems, and attitudes related to librarian-publisher cooperation, several areas for joint development are suggested: new products and services; CD-ROM; electronic document delivery; scholarly book…

  12. Streptococcus pharyngis sp. nov., a novel streptococcal species isolated from the respiratory tract of wild rabbits.

    PubMed

    Vela, Ana I; Casas-Díaz, Encarna; Lavín, Santiago; Domínguez, Lucas; Fernández-Garayzábal, Jose F

    2015-09-01

    Four isolates of an unknown Gram-stain-positive, catalase-negative coccus-shaped organism, isolated from the pharynx of four wild rabbits, were characterized by phenotypic and molecular genetic methods. The micro-organisms were tentatively assigned to the genus Streptococcus based on cellular morphological and biochemical criteria, although the organisms did not appear to correspond to any species with a validly published name. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed their identification as members of the genus Streptococcus, being most closely related phylogenetically to Streptococcus porcorum 682-03(T) (96.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). Analysis of rpoB and sodA gene sequences showed divergence values between the novel species and S. porcorum 682-03(T) (the closest phylogenetic relative determined from 16S rRNA gene sequences) of 18.1 and 23.9%, respectively. The novel bacterial isolate could be distinguished from the type strain of S. porcorum by several biochemical characteristics, such as the production of glycyl-tryptophan arylamidase and α-chymotrypsin, and the non-acidification of different sugars. Based on both phenotypic and phylogenetic findings, it is proposed that the unknown bacterium be assigned to a novel species of the genus Streptococcus, and named Streptococcus pharyngis sp. nov. The type strain is DICM10-00796B(T) ( = CECT 8754(T) = CCUG 66496(T)).

  13. Validation of a for anaerobic bacteria optimized MALDI-TOF MS biotyper database: The ENRIA project.

    PubMed

    Veloo, A C M; Jean-Pierre, H; Justesen, U S; Morris, T; Urban, E; Wybo, I; Kostrzewa, M; Friedrich, A W

    2018-03-12

    Within the ENRIA project, several 'expertise laboratories' collaborated in order to optimize the identification of clinical anaerobic isolates by using a widely available platform, the Biotyper Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Main Spectral Profiles (MSPs) of well characterized anaerobic strains were added to one of the latest updates of the Biotyper database db6903; (V6 database) for common use. MSPs of anaerobic strains nominated for addition to the Biotyper database are included in this validation. In this study, we validated the optimized database (db5989 [V5 database] + ENRIA MSPs) using 6309 anaerobic isolates. Using the V5 database 71.1% of the isolates could be identified with high confidence, 16.9% with low confidence and 12.0% could not be identified. Including the MSPs added to the V6 database and all MSPs created within the ENRIA project, the amount of strains identified with high confidence increased to 74.8% and 79.2%, respectively. Strains that could not be identified using MALDI-TOF MS decreased to 10.4% and 7.3%, respectively. The observed increase in high confidence identifications differed per genus. For Bilophila wadsworthia, Prevotella spp., gram-positive anaerobic cocci and other less commonly encountered species more strains were identified with higher confidence. A subset of the non-identified strains (42.1%) were identified using 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The obtained identities demonstrated that strains could not be identified either due to the generation of spectra of insufficient quality or due to the fact that no MSP of the encountered species was present in the database. Undoubtedly, the ENRIA project has successfully increased the number of anaerobic isolates that can be identified with high confidence. We therefore recommend further expansion of the database to include less frequently isolated species as this would also allow us to gain valuable insight into the clinical

  14. Endophytic Fungi in Species of Artemisia.

    PubMed

    Cosoveanu, Andreea; Cabrera, Raimundo

    2018-05-01

    The genus Artemisia , a collection of ~400 hardy herbaceous plant and shrub species, is an important resource contributing to chemistry, medicine, agriculture, industry, and ecology. Its communities of endophytic fungi have only recently begun to be explored. Summarized from studies conducted on the fungal endophytes in Artemisia species, both fungal phylogenetic diversity and the associated bioactivity was examined. Isolations from 14 species of Artemisia have led to 51 genera of fungal endophytes, 28 families, and 18 orders. Endophytes belonged mainly to Ascomycota , except for two taxa of Cantharellales and Sporidiobolales , one taxon of Mucoromycota , and one species of Oomycota . The mostly common families were Pleosporaceae , Trichocomaceae , Leptosphaeriaceae , and Botryosphaeriaceae (relative abundance = 14.89, 8.51, 7.14 and 6.38, respectively). In the search for bioactive metabolites, 27 novel compounds were characterized and 22 metabolites were isolated between 2006 and 2017. The first study on endophytic fungi isolated from species of Artemisia was published but 18 years ago. This summary of recently acquired data illustrates the considerable diversity of biological purposes addressed by fungal endophytes of Artemisia spp.

  15. On the Validity of Student Evaluation of Teaching: The State of the Art

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spooren, Pieter; Brockx, Bert; Mortelmans, Dimitri

    2013-01-01

    This article provides an extensive overview of the recent literature on student evaluation of teaching (SET) in higher education. The review is based on the SET meta-validation model, drawing upon research reports published in peer-reviewed journals since 2000. Through the lens of validity, we consider both the more traditional research themes in…

  16. Efficient distinction of invasive aquatic plant species from non-invasive related species using DNA barcoding.

    PubMed

    Ghahramanzadeh, R; Esselink, G; Kodde, L P; Duistermaat, H; van Valkenburg, J L C H; Marashi, S H; Smulders, M J M; van de Wiel, C C M

    2013-01-01

    Biological invasions are regarded as threats to global biodiversity. Among invasive aliens, a number of plant species belonging to the genera Myriophyllum, Ludwigia and Cabomba, and to the Hydrocharitaceae family pose a particular ecological threat to water bodies. Therefore, one would try to prevent them from entering a country. However, many related species are commercially traded, and distinguishing invasive from non-invasive species based on morphology alone is often difficult for plants in a vegetative stage. In this regard, DNA barcoding could become a good alternative. In this study, 242 samples belonging to 26 species from 10 genera of aquatic plants were assessed using the chloroplast loci trnH-psbA, matK and rbcL. Despite testing a large number of primer sets and several PCR protocols, the matK locus could not be amplified or sequenced reliably and therefore was left out of the analysis. Using the other two loci, eight invasive species could be distinguished from their respective related species, a ninth one failed to produce sequences of sufficient quality. Based on the criteria of universal application, high sequence divergence and level of species discrimination, the trnH-psbA noncoding spacer was the best performing barcode in the aquatic plant species studied. Thus, DNA barcoding may be helpful with enforcing a ban on trade of such invasive species, such as is already in place in the Netherlands. This will become even more so once DNA barcoding would be turned into machinery routinely operable by a nonspecialist in botany and molecular genetics. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Crystallographic publishing in the electronic age

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strickland, P. R.; McMahon, B.

    2008-01-01

    The journal publishing activities of the IUCr over the past 60 years are described, together with the new technological, economic and cultural challenges faced by the journals. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of innovative publishing technologies in ensuring the quality of the published information and in providing effective access to the data underpinning the scientific results.

  18. Publisher's Announcement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGlashan, Yasmin

    2008-01-01

    Important changes for 2008 As a result of reviewing several aspects of our content, both in print and online, we have made some changes for 2008. These changes are described below: Article numbering Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion has moved from sequential page numbering to an article numbering system, offering important advantages and flexibility by speeding up the publication process. Papers in different issues or sections can be published online as soon as they are ready, without having to wait for a whole issue or section to be allocated page numbers. The bibliographic citation will change slightly. Articles should be referenced using the six-digit article number in place of a page number, and this number must include any leading zeros. For instance, from this issue: Z Y Chen et al 2008 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50 015001 Articles will continue to be published on the web in advance of the print edition. A new look and feel We have also taken the opportunity to refresh the design of the journal cover, in order to modernise the typography and create a consistent look and feel across our range of publications. We hope you like the new cover. If you have any questions or comments about any of these changes, please contact us at ppcf@iop.org.

  19. Should surgical outcomes be published?

    PubMed

    Chou, Evelyn; Abboudi, Hamid; Shamim Khan, Mohammed; Dasgupta, Prokar; Ahmed, Kamran

    2015-04-01

    Despite publishing surgical outcomes being a positive step forwards in the progression of England's healthcare system, it has no doubt been faced with criticism and reservations. This review article aims to discuss the pros and cons of publishing individual surgical outcomes, as well as the challenges faced. Publishing outcomes requires data from a number of sources such as national clinical audits, hospital episode statistics, patient-reported outcomes, registers and information from revalidation. As yet, eight surgical specialties have begun publishing their data, including cardiac (coronary artery bypass graft, valve and aortic surgery), endocrine (thyroidectomy, lobectomy, isthmusectomy), orthopaedic (hip and knee replacement), urological (full and partial nephrectomies, nephroureterectomy), colorectal (bowel tumour removal), upper gastrointestinal (stomach cancer and oesophageal cancer removal, bariatric surgery), ear, nose and throat surgery (larynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and salivary gland cancer removal), as well as vascular surgery (abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid endarterectomy). However, not all procedures have been addressed. Despite the controversy surrounding the topic of publishing surgical outcomes, the advantages of reporting outcomes outweigh the disadvantages, and these challenges can be overcome, to create a more reliable, trustworthy and transparent NHS. Perhaps one of the main challenges has been the difficulty in collecting large amounts of clinically significant data able to quantify the performance of surgeons. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

  20. Origin matters: diversity affects the performance of alien invasive species but not of native species.

    PubMed

    Sun, Yan; Müller-Schärer, Heinz; Maron, John L; Schaffner, Urs

    2015-06-01

    At local scales, it has often been found that invasibility decreases with increasing resident plant diversity. However, whether resident community diversity similarly resists invasion by alien versus native species is seldom studied. We examined this issue by invading constructed native plant assemblages that varied in species and functional richness with invasive alien or native Asteraceae species. Assemblages were also invaded with spotted knapweed, Centaurea stoebe, a native European aster that has been previously used in diversity-invasibility experiments in North America. We also conducted a field survey to explore the generality of the patterns generated from our experimental study. Both experimental and observational work revealed that increasing diversity reduced the performance of alien but not native invaders. Centaurea stoebe invading its native community performed poorly regardless of resident diversity, whereas in a parallel, previously published study conducted in North America, C. stoebe easily invaded low-diversity but not high-diversity assemblages. Our results suggest that diversity is an attribute of resident communities that makes them more or less susceptible to invasion by novel invasive alien but not native plant species.

  1. Evaluation of the Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Salmonella species Assay.

    PubMed

    Cloke, Jonathan; Clark, Dorn; Radcliff, Roy; Leon-Velarde, Carlos; Larson, Nathan; Dave, Keron; Evans, Katharine; Crabtree, David; Hughes, Annette; Simpson, Helen; Holopainen, Jani; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko

    2014-03-01

    The Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Salmonella species Assay is a new real-time PCR assay for the detection of Salmonellae in food and environmental samples. This validation study was conducted using the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested MethodsSM program to validate the SureTect Salmonella species Assay in comparison to the reference method detailed in International Organization for Standardization 6579:2002 in a variety of food matrixes, namely, raw ground beef, raw chicken breast, raw ground pork, fresh bagged lettuce, pork frankfurters, nonfat dried milk powder, cooked peeled shrimp, pasteurized liquid whole egg, ready-to-eat meal containing beef, and stainless steel surface samples. With the exception of liquid whole egg and fresh bagged lettuce, which were tested in-house, all matrixes were tested by Marshfield Food Safety, Marshfield, WI, on behalf of Thermo Fisher Scientific. In addition, three matrixes (pork frankfurters, lettuce, and stainless steel surface samples) were analyzed independently as part of the AOAC-RI-controlled laboratory study by the University of Guelph, Canada. No significant difference by probability of detection or McNemars Chi-squared statistical analysis was found between the candidate or reference methods for any of the food matrixes or environmental surface samples tested during the validation study. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was conducted with 117 and 36 isolates, respectively, which demonstrated that the SureTect Salmonella species Assay was able to detect all the major groups of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica (e.g., Typhimurium) and the less common subspecies of S. enterica (e.g., arizoniae) and the rarely encountered S. bongori. None of the exclusivity isolates analyzed were detected by the SureTect Salmonella species Assay. Ruggedness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the assay with specific method deviations outside of the recommended parameters open to variation

  2. Desktop Publishing in the University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burstyn, Joan N., Ed.

    Highlighting changes in the work of people within the university, this book presents nine essays that examine the effects of desktop publishing and electronic publishing on professors and students, librarians, and those who work at university presses and in publication departments. Essays in the book are: (1) "Introduction: The Promise of Desktop…

  3. On Publishing in the Academy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baum, Joan, Comp.

    This booklet, the result of meetings of a college faculty seminar held during academic year 1989-1990 provides observations and advice concerning the basics on how to get published. The advice comes from faculty experience and the thoughts offered from invited guests familiar with writing, editing, and publishing in the academy. The booklet…

  4. Web Publishing Schedule

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Gov Act requires federal agencies to develop an inventory and establish a schedule of information to be published on their Web sites, make those schedules available for public comment. To post the schedules on the web site.

  5. Evaluation of the Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria species assay. AOAC Performance Tested Method 071304.

    PubMed

    Cloke, Jonathan; Evans, Katharine; Crabtree, David; Hughes, Annette; Simpson, Helen; Holopainen, Jani; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko; Leon-Velarde, Carlos; Larson, Nathan; Dave, Keron

    2014-01-01

    The Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria species Assay is a new real-time PCR assay for the detection of all species of Listeria in food and environmental samples. This validation study was conducted using the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested Methods program to validate the SureTect Listeria species Assay in comparison to the reference method detailed in International Organization for Standardization 11290-1:1996 including amendment 1:2004 in a variety of foods plus plastic and stainless steel. The food matrixes validated were smoked salmon, processed cheese, fresh bagged spinach, cantaloupe, cooked prawns, cooked sliced turkey meat, cooked sliced ham, salami, pork frankfurters, and raw ground beef. All matrixes were tested by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Division, Basingstoke, UK. In addition, three matrixes (pork frankfurters, fresh bagged spinach, and stainless steel surface samples) were analyzed independently as part of the AOAC-RI-controlled independent laboratory study by the University ofGuelph, Canada. Using probability of detection statistical analysis, a significant difference in favour of the SureTect assay was demonstrated between the SureTect and reference method for high level spiked samples of pork frankfurters, smoked salmon, cooked prawns, stainless steel, and low-spiked samples of salami. For all other matrixes, no significant difference was seen between the two methods during the study. Inclusivity testing was conducted with 68 different isolates of Listeria species, all of which were detected by the SureTect Listeria species Assay. None of the 33 exclusivity isolates were detected by the SureTect Listeria species Assay. Ruggedness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the assay with specific method deviations outside of the recommended parameters open to variation, which demonstrated that the assay gave reliable performance. Accelerated stability testing was additionally conducted, validating the assay

  6. Insufficient Sampling to Identify Species Affected by Turbine Collisions

    PubMed Central

    Beston, Julie A; Diffendorfer, Jay E; Loss, Scott

    2015-01-01

    We compared the number of avian species detected and the sampling effort during fatality monitoring at 50 North American wind facilities. Facilities with short intervals between sampling events and high effort detected more species, but many facilities appeared undersampled. Species accumulation curves for 2 wind facilities studied for more than 1 year had yet to reach an asymptote. The monitoring effort that is typically invested is likely inadequate to identify all of the species killed by wind turbines. This may understate impacts for rare species of conservation concern that collide infrequently with turbines but suffer disproportionate consequences from those fatalities. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. PMID:25914425

  7. Desktop Publishing Choices: Making an Appropriate Decision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Walt

    1991-01-01

    Discusses various choices available for desktop publishing systems. Four categories of software are described, including advanced word processing, graphics software, low-end desktop publishing, and mainstream desktop publishing; appropriate hardware is considered; and selection guidelines are offered, including current and future publishing needs,…

  8. Biosystematics and evolutionary relationships of perennial Triticeae species revealed by genomic analyses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Literature published after 1984 were reviewed to address: (1) genome relationships among monogenomic diploid species, (2) progenitors of the unknown Y genome in Elymus polyploids, X in Thinopyrum intermedium, and Xm in Leymus, and (3) genome constitutions of some perennial Triticeae species that wer...

  9. A Manifesto for Scholarly Publishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, Peter J.

    2009-01-01

    While university presses grapple with the economic and technological challenges now affecting how books are published--the subject of a thousand and one AAUP conference sessions, e-mail-list debates, and news articles--discussion of "what" is published seems to have taken a back seat. And understandably so. Why obsess about content if books are…

  10. Previously unknown species of Aspergillus.

    PubMed

    Gautier, M; Normand, A-C; Ranque, S

    2016-08-01

    The use of multi-locus DNA sequence analysis has led to the description of previously unknown 'cryptic' Aspergillus species, whereas classical morphology-based identification of Aspergillus remains limited to the section or species-complex level. The current literature highlights two main features concerning these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species. First, the prevalence of such species in clinical samples is relatively high compared with emergent filamentous fungal taxa such as Mucorales, Scedosporium or Fusarium. Second, it is clearly important to identify these species in the clinical laboratory because of the high frequency of antifungal drug-resistant isolates of such Aspergillus species. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently been shown to enable the identification of filamentous fungi with an accuracy similar to that of DNA sequence-based methods. As MALDI-TOF MS is well suited to the routine clinical laboratory workflow, it facilitates the identification of these 'cryptic' Aspergillus species at the routine mycology bench. The rapid establishment of enhanced filamentous fungi identification facilities will lead to a better understanding of the epidemiology and clinical importance of these emerging Aspergillus species. Based on routine MALDI-TOF MS-based identification results, we provide original insights into the key interpretation issues of a positive Aspergillus culture from a clinical sample. Which ubiquitous species that are frequently isolated from air samples are rarely involved in human invasive disease? Can both the species and the type of biological sample indicate Aspergillus carriage, colonization or infection in a patient? Highly accurate routine filamentous fungi identification is central to enhance the understanding of these previously unknown Aspergillus species, with a vital impact on further improved patient care. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and

  11. Biomedical Publishing and the Internet

    PubMed Central

    Jacobson, Michael W.

    2000-01-01

    The Internet is challenging traditional publishing patterns. In the biomedical domain, medical journals are providing more and more content online, both free and for a fee. Beyond this, however, a number of commentators believe that traditional notions of copyright and intellectual property ownership are no longer suited to the information age and that ownership of copyright to research reports should be and will be wrested from publishers and returned to authors. In this paper, it is argued that, although the Internet will indeed profoundly affect the distribution of biomedical research results, the biomedical publishing industry is too intertwined with the research establishment and too powerful to fall prey to such a copyright revolution. PMID:10833159

  12. The ReproGenomics Viewer: an integrative cross-species toolbox for the reproductive science community

    PubMed Central

    Darde, Thomas A.; Sallou, Olivier; Becker, Emmanuelle; Evrard, Bertrand; Monjeaud, Cyril; Le Bras, Yvan; Jégou, Bernard; Collin, Olivier; Rolland, Antoine D.; Chalmel, Frédéric

    2015-01-01

    We report the development of the ReproGenomics Viewer (RGV), a multi- and cross-species working environment for the visualization, mining and comparison of published omics data sets for the reproductive science community. The system currently embeds 15 published data sets related to gametogenesis from nine model organisms. Data sets have been curated and conveniently organized into broad categories including biological topics, technologies, species and publications. RGV's modular design for both organisms and genomic tools enables users to upload and compare their data with that from the data sets embedded in the system in a cross-species manner. The RGV is freely available at http://rgv.genouest.org. PMID:25883147

  13. A cross-species bi-clustering approach to identifying conserved co-regulated genes.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jiangwen; Jiang, Zongliang; Tian, Xiuchun; Bi, Jinbo

    2016-06-15

    A growing number of studies have explored the process of pre-implantation embryonic development of multiple mammalian species. However, the conservation and variation among different species in their developmental programming are poorly defined due to the lack of effective computational methods for detecting co-regularized genes that are conserved across species. The most sophisticated method to date for identifying conserved co-regulated genes is a two-step approach. This approach first identifies gene clusters for each species by a cluster analysis of gene expression data, and subsequently computes the overlaps of clusters identified from different species to reveal common subgroups. This approach is ineffective to deal with the noise in the expression data introduced by the complicated procedures in quantifying gene expression. Furthermore, due to the sequential nature of the approach, the gene clusters identified in the first step may have little overlap among different species in the second step, thus difficult to detect conserved co-regulated genes. We propose a cross-species bi-clustering approach which first denoises the gene expression data of each species into a data matrix. The rows of the data matrices of different species represent the same set of genes that are characterized by their expression patterns over the developmental stages of each species as columns. A novel bi-clustering method is then developed to cluster genes into subgroups by a joint sparse rank-one factorization of all the data matrices. This method decomposes a data matrix into a product of a column vector and a row vector where the column vector is a consistent indicator across the matrices (species) to identify the same gene cluster and the row vector specifies for each species the developmental stages that the clustered genes co-regulate. Efficient optimization algorithm has been developed with convergence analysis. This approach was first validated on synthetic data and compared

  14. Data Collection, Collaboration, Analysis, and Publication Using the Open Data Repository's (ODR) Data Publisher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lafuente, B.; Stone, N.; Bristow, T.; Keller, R. M.; Blake, D. F.; Downs, R. T.; Pires, A.; Dateo, C. E.; Fonda, M.

    2017-12-01

    In development for nearly four years, the Open Data Repository's (ODR) Data Publisher software has become a useful tool for researchers' data needs. Data Publisher facilitates the creation of customized databases with flexible permission sets that allow researchers to share data collaboratively while improving data discovery and maintaining ownership rights. The open source software provides an end-to-end solution from collection to final repository publication. A web-based interface allows researchers to enter data, view data, and conduct analysis using any programming language supported by JupyterHub (http://www.jupyterhub.org). This toolset makes it possible for a researcher to store and manipulate their data in the cloud from any internet capable device. Data can be embargoed in the system until a date selected by the researcher. For instance, open publication can be set to a date that coincides with publication of data analysis in a third party journal. In conjunction with teams at NASA Ames and the University of Arizona, a number of pilot studies are being conducted to guide the software development so that it allows them to publish and share their data. These pilots include (1) the Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database (AHED), a central searchable repository designed to promote and facilitate the integration and sharing of all the data generated by the diverse disciplines in astrobiology; (2) a database containing the raw and derived data products from the CheMin instrument on the MSL rover Curiosity (http://odr.io/CheMin), featuring a versatile graphing system, instructions and analytical tools to process the data, and a capability to download data in different formats; and (3) the Mineral Evolution project, which by correlating the diversity of mineral species with their ages, localities, and other measurable properties aims to understand how the episodes of planetary accretion and differentiation, plate tectonics, and origin of life lead to a

  15. Prepare to publish.

    PubMed

    Price, P M

    2000-01-01

    "I couldn't possibly write an article." "I don't have anything worthwhile to write about." "I am not qualified to write for publication." Do any of these statements sound familiar? This article is intended to dispel these beliefs. You can write an article. You care for the most complex patients in the health care system so you do have something worthwhile to write about. Beside correct spelling and grammar there are no special skills, certificates or diplomas required for publishing. You are qualified to write for publication. The purpose of this article is to take the mystique out of the publication process. Each step of publishing an article will be explained, from idea formation to framing your first article. Practical examples and recommendations will be presented. The essential components of the APA format necessary for Dynamics: The Official Journal of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses will be outlined and resources to assist you will be provided.

  16. EDITORIAL: Roberts Prize for the best paper published in 2010 Roberts Prize for the best paper published in 2010

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Steve; Harris, Simon

    2011-08-01

    The publishers of Physics in Medicine and Biology (PMB), IOP Publishing, in association with the journal owners, the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), jointly award an annual prize for the best paper published in PMB during the previous year. The procedure for deciding the winner has been made as thorough as possible, to try to ensure that an outstanding paper wins the prize. We started off with a shortlist of the 10 research papers published in 2010 which were rated the best based on the referees' quality assessments. Following the submission of a short 'case for winning' document by each of the shortlisted authors, an IPEM college of jurors of the status of FIPEM assessed and rated these 10 papers in order to choose a winner, which was then endorsed by the Editorial Board. We have much pleasure in advising readers that the Roberts Prize for the best paper published in 2010 is awarded to M M Paulides et al from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for their paper on hyperthermia treatment: The clinical feasibility of deep hyperthermia treatment in the head and neck: new challenges for positioning and temperature measurement M M Paulides, J F Bakker, M Linthorst, J van der Zee, Z Rijnen, E Neufeld, P M T Pattynama, P P Jansen, P C Levendag and G C van Rhoon 2010 Phys. Med. Biol. 55 2465 Our congratulations go to these authors. Of course all of the shortlisted papers were of great merit, and the full top-10 is listed below (in alphabetical order). Steve Webb Editor-in-Chief Simon Harris Publisher References Alonzo-Proulx O, Packard N, Boone J M, Al-Mayah A, Brock K K, Shen S Z and Yaffe M J 2010 Validation of a method for measuring the volumetric breast density from digital mammograms Phys. Med. Biol. 55 3027 Bian J, Siewerdsen J H, Han X, Sidky E Y, Prince J L, Pelizzari C A and Pan X 2010 Evaluation of sparse-view reconstruction from flat-panel-detector cone-beam CT Phys. Med. Biol. 55 6575 Brun M-A, Formanek F, Yasuda A, Sekine M, Ando N

  17. Recently published protein sequences. I.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jukes, T. H.; Holmquist, R.

    1972-01-01

    Some polypeptide sequences that have been published in the 1972 scientific literature are listed. Only selected sequences are included. The compilation has two objectives. Current information between periods when more comprehensive compilations are published is to be assembled and the use of data that do not include arrangements of unsequenced peptides for 'maximum homology' is to be encouraged.

  18. Operational Tree Species Mapping in a Diverse Tropical Forest with Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Baldeck, Claire A; Asner, Gregory P; Martin, Robin E; Anderson, Christopher B; Knapp, David E; Kellner, James R; Wright, S Joseph

    2015-01-01

    Remote identification and mapping of canopy tree species can contribute valuable information towards our understanding of ecosystem biodiversity and function over large spatial scales. However, the extreme challenges posed by highly diverse, closed-canopy tropical forests have prevented automated remote species mapping of non-flowering tree crowns in these ecosystems. We set out to identify individuals of three focal canopy tree species amongst a diverse background of tree and liana species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, using airborne imaging spectroscopy data. First, we compared two leading single-class classification methods--binary support vector machine (SVM) and biased SVM--for their performance in identifying pixels of a single focal species. From this comparison we determined that biased SVM was more precise and created a multi-species classification model by combining the three biased SVM models. This model was applied to the imagery to identify pixels belonging to the three focal species and the prediction results were then processed to create a map of focal species crown objects. Crown-level cross-validation of the training data indicated that the multi-species classification model had pixel-level producer's accuracies of 94-97% for the three focal species, and field validation of the predicted crown objects indicated that these had user's accuracies of 94-100%. Our results demonstrate the ability of high spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing to accurately detect non-flowering crowns of focal species within a diverse tropical forest. We attribute the success of our model to recent classification and mapping techniques adapted to species detection in diverse closed-canopy forests, which can pave the way for remote species mapping in a wider variety of ecosystems.

  19. A Simple Method for Evaluating Within Sample Prognostic Balance Achieved by Published Comorbidity Summary Measures.

    PubMed

    Egleston, Brian L; Uzzo, Robert G; Beck, J Robert; Wong, Yu-Ning

    2015-08-01

    To demonstrate how a researcher can investigate the appropriateness of a published comorbidity summary measure for use with a given sample. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results linked to Medicare claims data. We examined Kaplan-Meier estimated survival curves for four diseases within strata of a comorbidity summary measure, the Charlson Comorbidity Index. We identified individuals with early-stage kidney cancer diagnosed from 1995 to 2009. We recorded comorbidities present in the year before diagnosis. The use of many comorbidity summary measures is valid under appropriate conditions. One condition is that the relationships of the comorbidities with the outcome of interest in a researcher's own population are comparable to the relationships in a published algorithm's population. The original comorbidity weights from the Charlson Comorbidity Index seemed adequate for three of the diseases in our sample. We found evidence that the Charlson Comorbidity Index might underestimate the impact of one disease in our sample. Examination of survival curves within strata defined by a comorbidity summary measure can be a useful tool for determining whether a published method appropriately accounts for comorbidities. A comorbidity score is only as good as those variables included. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  20. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for Legionella species.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seung Min; Jeong, Yoojung; Sohn, Jang Wook; Kim, Min Ja

    2015-12-01

    Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (sg1) accounts for the majority of infections in humans, but other Legionella species are also associated with human disease. In this study, a new SYBR Green I-based multiplex real-time PCR assay in a single reaction was developed to allow the rapid detection and differentiation of Legionella species by targeting specific gene sequences. Candidate target genes were selected, and primer sets were designed by referring to comparative genomic hybridization data of Legionella species. The Legionella species-specific groES primer set successfully detected all 30 Legionella strains tested. The xcpX and rfbA primers specifically detected L. pneumophila sg1-15 and L. pneumophila sg1, respectively. In addition, this assay was validated by testing clinical samples and isolates. In conclusion, this novel multiplex real-time PCR assay might be a useful diagnostic tool for the rapid detection and differentiation of Legionella species in both clinical and epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Book Publishing in the German Democratic Republic.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hueting, Gail P.

    1982-01-01

    Presents information about book publishing in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), drawing on a variety of sources, including a survey sent to the publishing houses themselves. The reading public, organization of the publishing industry, and centralized administration are discussed. An appendix listing GDR publishers and a 33-item reference list…

  2. How Much Variation Can One Ant Species Hold? Species Delimitation in the Crematogaster kelleri-Group in Madagascar

    PubMed Central

    Blaimer, Bonnie B.; Fisher, Brian L.

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the species-level taxonomy of the Malagasy Crematogaster (Crematogaster) kelleri-group and an additional more distantly related species of the same subgenus. Morphological data from worker, queen and male ants, as well as genetic data from three nuclear genes (long wavelength rhodopsin, arginine kinase and carbomoylphosphate synthase) and one mitochondrial marker (cytochrome oxidase I) led to the recognition of six species. Within the C. kelleri-group, three new species are described: C. hazolava Blaimer sp. n., C. hafahafa Blaimer sp. n. and C. tavaratra Blaimer sp. n. The previously described taxa C. kelleri Forel and C. madagascariensis André are validated by our analysis. Conversely, our data suggests synonymy of C. adrepens Forel (with C. kelleri) and C. gibba Emery (with C. madagascariensis). A more distantly related and phylogenetically isolated species, C. tsisitsilo Blaimer sp. n., is further described. We report high levels of morphological and molecular variation in C. kelleri and illustrate that this variation can be explained partly by geography. Species descriptions, images, distribution maps and identification keys based on worker ants, as well as on queen and male ants where available, are presented for all six species. Our work highlights the elevated species richness of Crematogaster ants throughout Madagascar’s humid forests, especially in the far northern tip of the island, and the need to use multiple data sources to ensure clear demarcation of this diversity. PMID:23874503

  3. Cryptococcus species (Tremellales) from glacial biomes in the southern (Patagonia) and northern (Svalbard) hemispheres.

    PubMed

    de Garcia, Virginia; Zalar, Polona; Brizzio, Silvia; Gunde-Cimerman, Nina; van Broock, María

    2012-11-01

    Cryptococcus species (Basidiomycota) were isolated as the predominant yeast from glacial biomes of both Patagonia (Argentina) and the Svalbard archipelago (Norway). For a selected group of Cryptococcus belonging to Tremellales, assimilative profile, production of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer and large subunit (D1/D2) sequences were analysed. Cryptococcus victoriae, which was originally described from Antarctica, was the most frequently found species at both locations. High variability within the species was observed and described at the genotypic and phenotypic levels, two newly described species were found in both Patagonia and Svalbard: Cryptococcus fonsecae and Cryptococcus psychrotolerans. Two other new species were found only in Patagonia: Cryptococcus frias and Cryptococcus tronadorensis. Three additional new taxa were found, but they are not named as they were only represented by single isolates. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A new species and key to all known species of the genus Filchnerella Karny, 1908 from China (Orthoptera: Acridoidea, Pamphagidae).

    PubMed

    Cao, Cheng-Quan; Li, Xin-Jiang; Yin, Zhan

    2018-04-23

    The new species i.e. Filchnerella wuhaiensis sp. nov is described from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The new species is similar to Filchnerella helanshanensis Zheng, 1992, but differs from the latter by 21-segmented antennae, prozona of pronotum higher than metazona, length of tegmina 2.0 times maximum width, width of interspace of mesosternum 1.2 times length and lower margin of hind femur not red in male. A key to all species of the genus Filchnerella Karny, 1908 is given in this paper. Two genera Pseudotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948 and Paratmethis Zheng He, 1996 are valid genus and not a synonym of Filchnerella Karny, 1908. Type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China.

  5. An Annotated Checklist of the Human and Animal Entamoeba (Amoebida: Endamoebidae) Species- A Review Article

    PubMed Central

    HOOSHYAR, Hossein; ROSTAMKHANI, Parvin; REZAEIAN, Mostafa

    2015-01-01

    Background: The number of valid of pathogen and non-pathogen species of Entamoeba has continuously increased in human and animals. This review is performed to provide an update list and some summarized information on Entamoeba species, which were identified up to the 2014. Methods: We evaluated the Entamoeba genus with a broad systematic review of the literature, books and electronic databases until February 2014. The synonyms, hosts, pathogenicity and geographical distribution of valid species were considered and recorded. Repeated and unrelated cases were excluded. Results: Totally 51 defined species of Entamoeba were found and arranged by the number of nuclei in mature cyst according to Levin’s grouping. Seven of these species within the 4 nucleate mature cysts group and 1 species with one nucleate mature cyst are pathogen. E. histolytica, E. invadence, E. rananrum and E. anatis causes lethal infection in human, reptiles, amphibians and brides respectively, four species causes non-lethal mild dysentery. The other species were non-pathogen and are important to differential diagnosis of amoebiasis. Conclusion: There are some unknown true species of Entamoeba that available information on the morphology, hosts, pathogenicity and distribution of them are still very limited and more considerable investigation will be needed in order to clarify the status of them. PMID:26246811

  6. How to test validity in orthodontic research: a mixed dentition analysis example.

    PubMed

    Donatelli, Richard E; Lee, Shin-Jae

    2015-02-01

    The data used to test the validity of a prediction method should be different from the data used to generate the prediction model. In this study, we explored whether an independent data set is mandatory for testing the validity of a new prediction method and how validity can be tested without independent new data. Several validation methods were compared in an example using the data from a mixed dentition analysis with a regression model. The validation errors of real mixed dentition analysis data and simulation data were analyzed for increasingly large data sets. The validation results of both the real and the simulation studies demonstrated that the leave-1-out cross-validation method had the smallest errors. The largest errors occurred in the traditional simple validation method. The differences between the validation methods diminished as the sample size increased. The leave-1-out cross-validation method seems to be an optimal validation method for improving the prediction accuracy in a data set with limited sample sizes. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Revision of Mandarella Duvivier from Taiwan, with a new species, new synonymies and identities of highly variable species (Insecta, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Taiwanese species of Mandarella Duvivier are compared on the basis of morphological and molecular evi¬dence. Only three of eleven morphospecies are considered to be valid. Mandarella uenoi (Kimoto, 1969) is transferred from the genus Luperus Geoffroy. Stenoluperus taiwanus Kimoto, 1991 and S. kimoto...

  8. New Media Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritchie, Ian

    The media industry is the fastest growing business in the world today; additional leisure time, coupled with increasingly global distribution, has created large international markets for information and entertainment. The United Kingdom is relatively strong in the three main areas concerned with new media publishing: information technology,…

  9. Black-tie dress code: two new species of the genus Toxomerus (Diptera, Syrphidae)

    PubMed Central

    Mengual, Ximo

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Toxomerus hauseri Mengual sp. n. and Toxomerus picudus Mengual sp. n. are described from Peru and Ecuador respectively. Toxomerus circumcintus (Enderlein, 1938) is treated as a valid species and not considered synonym of Toxomerus marginatus, and Toxomerus ovatus (Hull, 1942) is considered junior synonym of Toxomerus nitidus (Schiner, 1868). An identification key for the Toxomerus species with dark abdomens is given along with diagnoses for each studied species. PMID:22144857

  10. Considerations for building climate-based species distribution models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bucklin, David N.; Basille, Mathieu; Romañach, Stephanie; Brandt, Laura A.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Watling, James I.

    2016-01-01

    Climate plays an important role in the distribution of species. A given species may adjust to new conditions in-place, move to new areas with suitable climates, or go extinct. Scientists and conservation practitioners use mathematical models to predict the effects of future climate change on wildlife and plan for a biodiverse future. This 8-page fact sheet written by David N. Bucklin, Mathieu Basille, Stephanie S. Romañach, Laura A. Brandt, Frank J. Mazzotti, and James I. Watling and published by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation explains how, with a better understanding of species distribution models, we can predict how species may respond to climate change. The models alone cannot tell us how a certain species will actually respond to changes in climate, but they can inform conservation planning that aims to allow species to both adapt in place and (for those that are able to) move to newly suitable areas. Such planning will likely minimize loss of biodiversity due to climate change.

  11. When should we save the most endangered species?

    PubMed

    Wilson, Howard B; Joseph, Liana N; Moore, Alana L; Possingham, Hugh P

    2011-09-01

    At the heart of our efforts to protect threatened species, there is a controversial debate about whether to give priority to cost-effective actions or whether focusing solely on the most endangered species will ultimately lead to preservation of the greatest number of species. By framing this debate within a decision-analytic framework, we show that allocating resources solely to the most endangered species will typically not minimise the number of extinctions in the long-term, as this does not account for the risk of less endangered species going extinct in the future. It is only favoured when our planning timeframe is short or we have a long-term view and we are optimistic about future conditions. Conservation funding tends to be short-term in nature, which biases allocations to more endangered species. Our work highlights the need to consider resource allocation for biodiversity over the long-term; 'preventive conservation', rather than just short-term fire-fighting. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

  12. Comments on the status of Xiphidiopsis quadrinotata Bey-Bienko, 1971 and related species with one new genus and species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae).

    PubMed

    Shi, Fuming; Bian, Xun; Zhou, Zhijun

    2016-04-21

    Based on the collections of the Museum of Hebei University, the paper comments Xiphidiopsis quadrinotata Bey-Bienko, 1971 status and reinstates Xizicus (Axizicus) xizangensis Jiao & Shi, 2013 as a valid species. Meanwhile, Alloteratura (Meconemopsis) Karny, 1924 is redefined and one new genus of Meconematinae, Nigrimacula Shi, Bian & Zhou gen. nov., mainly distributed in South China, is erected. The new genus includes three previously known species: Xiphidiopsis quadrinotata Bey-Bienko, 1971, Xizicus (Axizicus) xizangensis Jiao & Shi, 2013 and Meconemopsis paraquadrinotata Wang, Liu & Li, 2015 and one new species, Nigrimacula binotata Shi, Bian & Zhou sp. nov. The male of Xiphidiopsis quadrinotata Bey-Bienko, 1971 and female of Xizicus (Axizicus) xizangensis Jiao & Shi, 2013 are described for the first time. A key to the species based on the morphology and a distribution map are included.

  13. Species-to-species rate coefficients for the H3+ + H2 reacting system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sipilä, O.; Harju, J.; Caselli, P.

    2017-10-01

    Aims: We study whether or not rotational excitation can make a large difference to chemical models of the abundances of the H3+ isotopologs, including spin states, in physical conditions corresponding to starless cores and protostellar envelopes. Methods: We developed a new rate coefficient set for the chemistry of the H3+ isotopologs, allowing for rotational excitation, using previously published state-to-state rate coefficients. These new so-called species-to-species rate coefficients are compared with previously-used ground-state-to-species rate coefficients by calculating chemical evolution in variable physical conditions using a pseudo-time-dependent chemical code. Results: We find that the new species-to-species model produces different results to the ground state-to-species model at high density and toward increasing temperatures (T> 10 K). The most prominent difference is that the species-to-species model predicts a lower H3+ deuteration degree at high density owing to an increase of the rate coefficients of endothermic reactions that tend to decrease deuteration. For example at 20 K, the ground-state-to-species model overestimates the abundance of H2D+ by a factor of about two, while the abundance of D3+ can differ by up to an order of magnitude between the models. The spin-state abundance ratios of the various H3+ isotopologs are also affected, and the new model better reproduces recent observations of the abundances of ortho and para H2D+ and D2H+. The main caveat is that the applicability regime of the new rate coefficients depends on the critical densities of the various rotational transitions which vary with the abundances of the species and the temperature in dense clouds. Conclusions: The difference in the abundances of the H3+ isotopologs predicted by the species-to-species and ground state-to-species models is negligible at 10 K corresponding to physical conditions in starless cores, but inclusion of the excited states is very important in studies

  14. Thermus caliditerrae sp. nov., a novel thermophilic species isolated from a geothermal area.

    PubMed

    Ming, Hong; Yin, Yi-Rui; Li, Shuai; Nie, Guo-Xing; Yu, Tian-Tian; Zhou, En-Min; Liu, Lan; Dong, Lei; Li, Wen-Jun

    2014-02-01

    Two thermophilic bacterial strains, designated YIM 77925(T) and YIM 77777, were isolated from two hot springs, one in the Hydrothermal Explosion (Shuirebaozhaqu) area and Frog Mouth Spring in Tengchong county, Yunnan province, south-western China. The taxonomic positions of the two isolates were investigated by a polyphasic approach. Cells of the two strains were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped. They were able to grow at 50-70 °C, pH 6.0-8.0 and with a NaCl tolerance up to 0.5% (w/v). Colonies are circular, convex, non-transparent and produce yellow pigment. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences comparison clearly demonstrated that strains YIM 77925(T) and YIM 77777 represent members of the genus Thermus, and they also detected low-level similarities of 16S rRNA gene sequences (below 97%) compared with all other species in this genus. Their predominant menaquinone was MK-8. The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains YIM 77925(T) and YIM 77777 were 65.6 mol% and 67.2 mol%, respectively. Based on the results of physiological and biochemical tests and phylogenetic analyses, strains YIM 77925(T) and YIM 77777 could not be classified as representing any species of the genus Thermus with a validly published name. Thus the two strains are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Thermus, for which the name Thermus caliditerrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 77925(T) ( = DSM 25901(T) = CCTCC 2012061(T)).

  15. Metagenomic assembly through the lens of validation: recent advances in assessing and improving the quality of genomes assembled from metagenomes.

    PubMed

    Olson, Nathan D; Treangen, Todd J; Hill, Christopher M; Cepeda-Espinoza, Victoria; Ghurye, Jay; Koren, Sergey; Pop, Mihai

    2017-08-07

    Metagenomic samples are snapshots of complex ecosystems at work. They comprise hundreds of known and unknown species, contain multiple strain variants and vary greatly within and across environments. Many microbes found in microbial communities are not easily grown in culture making their DNA sequence our only clue into their evolutionary history and biological function. Metagenomic assembly is a computational process aimed at reconstructing genes and genomes from metagenomic mixtures. Current methods have made significant strides in reconstructing DNA segments comprising operons, tandem gene arrays and syntenic blocks. Shorter, higher-throughput sequencing technologies have become the de facto standard in the field. Sequencers are now able to generate billions of short reads in only a few days. Multiple metagenomic assembly strategies, pipelines and assemblers have appeared in recent years. Owing to the inherent complexity of metagenome assembly, regardless of the assembly algorithm and sequencing method, metagenome assemblies contain errors. Recent developments in assembly validation tools have played a pivotal role in improving metagenomics assemblers. Here, we survey recent progress in the field of metagenomic assembly, provide an overview of key approaches for genomic and metagenomic assembly validation and demonstrate the insights that can be derived from assemblies through the use of assembly validation strategies. We also discuss the potential for impact of long-read technologies in metagenomics. We conclude with a discussion of future challenges and opportunities in the field of metagenomic assembly and validation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  16. Validation of the ITS2 region as a novel DNA barcode for identifying medicinal plant species.

    PubMed

    Chen, Shilin; Yao, Hui; Han, Jianping; Liu, Chang; Song, Jingyuan; Shi, Linchun; Zhu, Yingjie; Ma, Xinye; Gao, Ting; Pang, Xiaohui; Luo, Kun; Li, Ying; Li, Xiwen; Jia, Xiaocheng; Lin, Yulin; Leon, Christine

    2010-01-07

    The plant working group of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life recommended the two-locus combination of rbcL+matK as the plant barcode, yet the combination was shown to successfully discriminate among 907 samples from 550 species at the species level with a probability of 72%. The group admits that the two-locus barcode is far from perfect due to the low identification rate, and the search is not over. Here, we compared seven candidate DNA barcodes (psbA-trnH, matK, rbcL, rpoC1, ycf5, ITS2, and ITS) from medicinal plant species. Our ranking criteria included PCR amplification efficiency, differential intra- and inter-specific divergences, and the DNA barcoding gap. Our data suggest that the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA represents the most suitable region for DNA barcoding applications. Furthermore, we tested the discrimination ability of ITS2 in more than 6600 plant samples belonging to 4800 species from 753 distinct genera and found that the rate of successful identification with the ITS2 was 92.7% at the species level. The ITS2 region can be potentially used as a standard DNA barcode to identify medicinal plants and their closely related species. We also propose that ITS2 can serve as a novel universal barcode for the identification of a broader range of plant taxa.

  17. Publisher's Announcement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scriven, Neil

    2003-12-01

    We are delighted to announce that the new Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General for 2004 will be Professor Carl M Bender of Washington University, St. Louis. Carl will, with the help of his world class editorial board, maintain standards of scientific rigour whilst ensuring that research published is of the highest importance. Carl attained his first degree in physics at Cornell University before studying for his PhD at Harvard. He later worked at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at MIT before assuming his current position at Washington University, St Louis. He has been a visiting professor at Technion, Haifa, and Imperial College, London and a scientific consultant for Los Alamos National Laboratory. His main expertise is in using classical applied mathematics to solve a broad range of problems in high-energy theoretical physics and mathematical physics. Since the publication of his book Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, written with Steven Orszag, he has been regarded as an expert on the subject of asymptotic analysis and perturbative methods. `Carl publishes his own internationally-important research in the journal and has been an invaluable, energetic member of the Editorial Board for some time' said Professor Ed Corrigan, Carl's predecessor as Editor, `he will be an excellent Editor-in-Chief'. Our grateful thanks and best wishes go to Professor Corrigan who has done a magnificent job for the journal during his five-year tenure.

  18. Isohydric species are not necessarily more carbon limited than anisohydric species during drought.

    PubMed

    Garcia-Forner, N; Biel, C; Savé, R; Martínez-Vilalta, J

    2017-04-01

    Isohydry (i.e., strong regulation of leaf water potential, Ψl) is commonly associated with strict stomatal regulation of transpiration under drought, which in turn is believed to minimize hydraulic risk at the expense of reduced carbon assimilation. Hence, the iso/anisohydric classification has been widely used to assess drought resistance and mortality mechanisms across species, with isohydric species being hypothetically more prone to carbon starvation and anisohydric species more vulnerable to hydraulic failure. These hypotheses and their underlying assumptions, however, have rarely been tested under controlled, experimental conditions. Our objective is to assess the physiological mechanisms underlying drought resistance differences between two co-occurring Mediterranean forest species with contrasting drought responses: Phillyrea latifolia L. (anisohydric and more resistant to drought) and Quercus ilex L. (isohydric and less drought resistant). A total of 100 large saplings (50 per species) were subjected to repeated drought treatments for a period of 3 years, after which Q. ilex showed 18% mortality whereas no mortality was detected in P. latifolia. Relatively isohydric behavior was confirmed for Q. ilex, but higher vulnerability to cavitation in this species implied that estimated embolism levels were similar across species (12-52% in Q. ilex vs ~30% in P. latifolia). We also found similar seasonal patterns of stomatal conductance and assimilation between species. If anything, the anisohydric P. latifolia tended to show lower assimilation rates than Q. ilex under extreme drought. Similar growth rates and carbon reserves dynamics in both species also suggests that P. latifolia was as carbon-constrained as Q. ilex. Increasing carbon reserves under extreme drought stress in both species, concurrent with Q. ilex mortality, suggests that mortality in our study was not triggered by carbon starvation. Our results warn against making direct connections between

  19. Comparison of the rolling circle amplification and ligase-dependent reaction methods for the identification of opportunistic Exophiala species.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Engin; Ilkit, Macit; de Hoog, G Sybren

    2017-10-26

    We developed two ligase-dependent probe amplification assays based on rolling circle amplification (RCA) and the ligase-dependent reaction (LDR) to differentiate species of Exophiala targeting the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region. We focused on Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis, two opportunistic inhabitants of indoor wet cells, and further detected E. heteromorpha, E. xenobiotica, and E. crusticola; 57 reference isolates representing the five species were tested. Depending on the RCA probes used, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity ranged from 3.7% to 88.6% (median: 46.1%). In contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of the LDR probes targeting the same isolates were 88.6-100% (median: 95.8%) and 95.4-100% (median: 97.7%), respectively. We analyzed 198 additional environmental isolates representing the same Exophiala species. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of LDR ranged from 89.7% to 100% (median: 94.1%) and from 93.9% to 100% (median: 96.9%), respectively. The assessment of performance and validation of LDR probes using SYBR Green quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed high reproducibility and an acceptable range limit, in line with the guidelines of the European Network of GMO Laboratories. In conclusion, the LDR assay was more reliable and less expensive than RCA for species-level identification of Exophiala isolates. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. The genera Isorineloricaria and Aphanotorulus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
    with description of a new species.

    PubMed

    Ray, C Keith; Armbruster, Jonathan W

    2016-02-04

    We review the complex history of those species included in the Hypostomus emarginatus species complex and recognize them in Isorineloricaria and Aphanotorulus. Isorineloricaria consists of four valid species: I. acuarius n. sp., I. spinosissima, I. tenuicauda, and I. villarsi. Aphanotorulus consists of six valid species: A. ammophilus, A, emarginatus, A. gomesi, A. horridus, A. phrixosoma, and A. unicolor. Plecostomus annae and Hypostoma squalinum are placed in the synonymy of A. emarginatus; Plecostomus biseriatus, P. scopularius, and P. virescens are placed in the synonymy of A. horridus; Plecostomus winzi is placed in the synonymy of I. tenuicauda, and one new species, I. acuarius is described from the Apure River basin of Venezuela. Aphanotoroulus can be distinguished from Isorineloricaria by having caudal peduncles that do not become greatly lengthed with size and that are oval in cross section (vs. caudal peduncle proportions that get proportionately longer with size and that become round in cross-section), and by having small dark spots (less than half plate diameter) on a light tan background (vs. spots almost as large as lateral plates on a nearly white background.

  1. An empirical assessment of the focal species hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Lindenmayer, D B; Lane, P W; Westgate, M J; Crane, M; Michael, D; Okada, S; Barton, P S

    2014-12-01

    Biodiversity surrogates and indicators are commonly used in conservation management. The focal species approach (FSA) is one method for identifying biodiversity surrogates, and it is underpinned by the hypothesis that management aimed at a particular focal species will confer protection on co-occurring species. This concept has been the subject of much debate, in part because the validity of the FSA has not been subject to detailed empirical assessment of the extent to which a given focal species actually co-occurs with other species in an assemblage. To address this knowledge gap, we used large-scale, long-term data sets of temperate woodland birds to select focal species associated with threatening processes such as habitat isolation and loss of key vegetation attributes. We quantified co-occurrence patterns among focal species, species in the wider bird assemblage, and species of conservation concern. Some, but not all, focal species were associated with high levels of species richness. One of our selected focal species was negatively associated with the occurrence of other species (i.e., it was an antisurrogate)-a previously undescribed property of nominated focal species. Furthermore, combinations of focal species were not associated with substantially elevated levels of bird species richness, relative to levels associated with individual species. Our results suggest that although there is some merit to the underpinning concept of the FSA, there is also a need to ensure that actions are sufficiently flexible because management tightly focused on a given focal species may not benefit some other species, including species of conservation concern, such of which might not occur in species-rich assemblages. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  2. A Validation Study of Student Differentiation between Computing Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battig, Michael; Shariq, Muhammad

    2011-01-01

    Using a previously published study of how students differentiate between computing disciplines, this study attempts to validate the original research and add additional hypotheses regarding the type of institution that the student resides. Using the identical survey instrument from the original study, students in smaller colleges and in different…

  3. InstantLabs Listeria species food safety kit. Performance tested methods 041304.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Neil; Bambusch, Lauren; Le, Thu; Morey, Amit

    2014-01-01

    The InstantLabs Listeria Species Food SafetyKitwas validated against the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reference method 11290-1 for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. The matrixes (stainless steel, sealed concrete, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, and hot dogs) were inoculated with approximately 1 CFU/test portion of various Listeria species to generate fractional positives (5-15) in 20 inoculated samples. Enrichments were also fractionally inoculated with L. monocytogenes for side-by-side testing of the InstantLabs Listeria monocytogenes Food Safety Kit. Stainless steel and sealed concrete samples were validated using 4 x 4" and 1 x 1" test areas, respectively, and enriched in Buffered Listeria Enrichment Broth (BLEB) at 35 +/- 1 degrees C for 22-28 h. All food samples were tested at 25 g or 25 mL and enriched in BLEB at 35 +/- 1 degrees C for 24-28 h. All samples were confirmed using the ISO reference method, regardless of initial screen result. The InstantLabs test method performed as well as or better than the reference method for the detection of Listeria species on stainless steel, sealed concrete, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, and hot dogs. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing revealed no false negatives and no false positives among the 80 Listeria species and 30 non-Listeria species examined. The method was shown to be robust when variations were introduced to the enrichment time, the volume for DNA extraction, and the heat block time (data not shown).

  4. Validation of the breast evaluation questionnaire for breast hypertrophy and breast reduction.

    PubMed

    Lewin, Richard; Elander, Anna; Lundberg, Jonas; Hansson, Emma; Thorarinsson, Andri; Claudelin, Malin; Bladh, Helena; Lidén, Mattias

    2018-06-13

    There is a lack of published, validated questionnaires for evaluating psychosocial morbidity in patients with breast hypertrophy undergoing breast reduction surgery. To validate the breast evaluation questionnaire (BEQ), originally developed for the assessment of breast augmentation patients, for the assessment of psychosocial morbidity in patients with breast hypertrophy undergoing breast reduction surgery. Validation study Subjects: Women with macromastia Methods: The validation of the BEQ, adapted to breast reduction, was performed in several steps. Content validity, reliability, construct validity and responsiveness were assessed. The original version was adjusted according to the results for content validity and resulted in item reduction and a modified BEQ (mBEQ) that was then assessed for reliability, construct validity and responsiveness. Internal and external validation was performed for the modified BEQ. Convergent validity was tested against Breast-Q (reduction) and discriminate validity was tested against the SF-36. Known-groups validation revealed significant differences between the normal population and patients undergoing breast reduction surgery. The BEQ showed good reliability by test-re-test analysis and high responsiveness. The modified BEQ may be reliable, valid and responsive instrument for assessing women who undergo breast reduction.

  5. Revision of the new world genus Crassomicrodus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae), with an identification key to species

    PubMed Central

    Figueroa, José Isaac; Sharkey, Michael Joseph; Nápoles, Jesus Romero; García, José Antonio Sánchez; Martínez, Ana Mabel; López-Martínez, Victor; Pineda, Samuel

    2011-01-01

    Abstract A key to species and descriptions are presented for 14 species of the New World genus Crassomicrodus Ashmead. Seven new species, Crassomicrodus azteca, Crassomicrodus clypealis, Crassomicrodus costaricensis, Crassomicrodus jalisciensis, Crassomicrodus mariae, Crassomicrodus oaxaquensis,and Crassomicrodus olgae are described. Crassomicrodus fenestratus (Viereck) is synonymized with Crassomicrodus nigriceps (Cresson). Crassomicrodus melanopleurus (Ashmead) is recognized as a valid species. PMID:22144862

  6. Publishers, Participants All

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Will

    2011-01-01

    Students need opportunities throughout the curriculum to follow their passions and publish quality work for global audiences to interact with. Social media afford the opportunity for students to contribute to the world in meaningful ways, do real work for real audiences for real purposes, find great teachers and collaborators from around the…

  7. Challenges in validating candidate therapeutic targets in cancer

    PubMed Central

    Sawyers, Charles L; Hunter, Tony

    2018-01-01

    More than 30 published articles have suggested that a protein kinase called MELK is an attractive therapeutic target in human cancer, but three recent reports describe compelling evidence that it is not. These reports highlight the caveats associated with some of the research tools that are commonly used to validate candidate therapeutic targets in cancer research. PMID:29417929

  8. Electronic publishing in radiology: economics and the future.

    PubMed

    Chew, Felix S; Llewellyn, Kevin T; Olsen, Kathryn M

    2004-11-01

    Scholarly publishing is a large market involving thousands of peer-reviewed journals but a decreasing number of publishers. An economic model can be described in which authors give their work to publishers who then sell access to this work. Because each published article is a unique work with few if any substitutes, publishers have some degree of monopoly power and can price their products accordingly. The advent of desktop publishing using personal computers made it possible for individuals to publish material without publishers, an activity that gained momentum when the publishing medium shifted from paper to electronic, and from electronic publishing to the Internet. This activity destabilized the industry, and in the rush to gain market share by providing free content, unsustainable business models were created. Scholarly publishing is now dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that acquired many smaller publishing operations. As these companies have exercised their monopoly power, an open access movement has gained traction in which authors (or their institutions) initially pay for publication, but readers have free and open access to the published articles. This movement is in diametric opposition to the commercial publishing model, and it remains to be seen whether and how well the two can coexist in the future.

  9. Handbook to additional fungal species of special concern in the Northwest Forest Plan.

    Treesearch

    Michael A. Castellano; Efren Cazares; Bryan Fondrick; Tina Dreisbach

    2003-01-01

    This handbook is a companion to the Handbook to Strategy 1 Fungal Species in the Northwest Forest Plan, Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-476, published in October 1999. It includes 73 record-of-decision (ROD)-listed fungal species not contained in the first handbook, as well as updated site, field, and collecting forms; an expanded set of artificial keys to all fungal species...

  10. The research evidence published in high impact nursing journals between 2000 and 2006: a quantitative content analysis.

    PubMed

    Mantzoukas, Stefanos

    2009-04-01

    Evidence-based practice has become an imperative for efficient, effective and safe practice. Furthermore, evidences emerging from published research are considered as valid knowledge sources to guiding practice. The aim of this paper is to review all research articles published in the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006 to identify the methodologies used, the types of evidence these studies produced and the issues upon which they endeavored. Quantitative content analysis was implemented to study all published research papers of the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006. The top 10 general nursing journals were included in the study. The abstracts of all research articles were analysed with regards the methodologies of enquiry, the types of evidence produced and the issues of study they endeavored upon. Percentages were developed as to enable conclusions to be drawn. The results for the category methodologies used were 7% experimental, 6% quasi-experimental, 39% non-experimental, 2% ethnographical studies, 7% phenomenological, 4% grounded theory, 1% action research, 1% case study, 15% unspecified, 5.5% other, 0.5% meta-synthesis, 2% meta-analysis, 5% literature reviews and 3% secondary analysis. For the category types of evidence were 4% hypothesis/theory testing, 11% evaluative, 5% comparative, 2% correlational, 46% descriptive, 5% interpretative and 27% exploratory. For the category issues of study were 45% practice/clinical, 8% educational, 11% professional, 3% spiritual/ethical/metaphysical, 26% health promotion and 7% managerial/policy. Published studies can provide adequate evidences for practice if nursing journals conceptualise evidence emerging from non-experimental and qualitative studies as relevant types of evidences for practice and develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing their validity. Also, nursing journals need to increase and encourage the publication of studies that implement RCT methodology, systematic

  11. Validation of the ITS2 Region as a Novel DNA Barcode for Identifying Medicinal Plant Species

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Shilin; Yao, Hui; Han, Jianping; Liu, Chang; Song, Jingyuan; Shi, Linchun; Zhu, Yingjie; Ma, Xinye; Gao, Ting; Pang, Xiaohui; Luo, Kun; Li, Ying; Li, Xiwen; Jia, Xiaocheng; Lin, Yulin; Leon, Christine

    2010-01-01

    Background The plant working group of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life recommended the two-locus combination of rbcL + matK as the plant barcode, yet the combination was shown to successfully discriminate among 907 samples from 550 species at the species level with a probability of 72%. The group admits that the two-locus barcode is far from perfect due to the low identification rate, and the search is not over. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we compared seven candidate DNA barcodes (psbA-trnH, matK, rbcL, rpoC1, ycf5, ITS2, and ITS) from medicinal plant species. Our ranking criteria included PCR amplification efficiency, differential intra- and inter-specific divergences, and the DNA barcoding gap. Our data suggest that the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA represents the most suitable region for DNA barcoding applications. Furthermore, we tested the discrimination ability of ITS2 in more than 6600 plant samples belonging to 4800 species from 753 distinct genera and found that the rate of successful identification with the ITS2 was 92.7% at the species level. Conclusions The ITS2 region can be potentially used as a standard DNA barcode to identify medicinal plants and their closely related species. We also propose that ITS2 can serve as a novel universal barcode for the identification of a broader range of plant taxa. PMID:20062805

  12. Status of endangered and threatened plant species on Nevada Test Site: a survey. Part 2. Threatened species

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rhoads, W.A.; Cochrane, S.A.; Williams, M.P.

    This is the second of a two-part study of plant species on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) that are listed as possibly threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). This study was undertaken as a response by DOE to comply with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (the Act). Part 1 treated species listed under terms of the Act as proposed endangered species. Part 2 primarily treats those species listed as threatened species candidates. Among the 15 species that grow on NTS and appeared in the Federal Register lists of candidate threatened species we report three:more » Astragalus funereus, Coryphantha vivipara var. rosea, and Gilia ripleyi, that should be considered as threatened. Two other species which occur on NTS and were not included on either the threatened or endangered lists should also be classified as threatened: Penstemon thurberi var. anestius and Sclerocactus polyancistrus. Of the 12 other species originally listed in the Federal Register, eight are of sufficient interest to warrant continued monitoring under a category we suggest as ''Plants of Special Concern.'' The other four do not appear to require any protective measures or surveillance at this time. We suggest critical habitats for those species recommended for threatened status and note that some suggested critical habitats may serve for more than one species and may also include habitats for some species of special concern. Updated information about species covered in Part 1 suggests that Trifolium andersonii var. beatleyae, earlier considered endangered, should now be recommended to be removed from endangered or threatened status because of more widespread distribution than was known to us at the time Part 1 was published.« less

  13. Identification of different bacterial species in biofilms using confocal Raman microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beier, Brooke D.; Quivey, Robert G.; Berger, Andrew J.

    2010-11-01

    Confocal Raman microspectroscopy is used to discriminate between different species of bacteria grown in biofilms. Tests are performed using two bacterial species, Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus mutans, which are major components of oral plaque and of particular interest due to their association with healthy and cariogenic plaque, respectively. Dehydrated biofilms of these species are studied as a simplified model of dental plaque. A prediction model based on principal component analysis and logistic regression is calibrated using pure biofilms of each species and validated on pure biofilms grown months later, achieving 96% accuracy in prospective classification. When biofilms of the two species are partially mixed together, Raman-based identifications are achieved within ~2 μm of the boundaries between species with 97% accuracy. This combination of spatial resolution and predication accuracy should be suitable for forming images of species distributions within intact two-species biofilms.

  14. The Impact of Electronic Commerce on the Publishing Industry: Towards a Business Value Complementarity Framework of Electronic Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scupola, Ada

    1999-01-01

    Discussion of the publishing industry and its use of information and communication technologies focuses on the way in which electronic-commerce technologies are changing and could change the publishing processes, and develops a business complementarity model of electronic publishing to maximize profitability and improve the competitive position.…

  15. Working towards a consensus for antibody validation.

    PubMed

    Reiss, Peter D; Min, Danxi; Leung, Mei Y

    2014-01-01

    Commercial research antibodies are the most commonly used product in the life science tools market, and their applications represent a significant investment of time and resources for researchers. Frequently however, the quality of antibodies does not meet the expectations of consumers, causing loss of valuable time and money. This can delay research efforts and scientific discovery, or even lead to false, irreproducible results to be published in the scientific literature. This raises the question of whether there should be universal standards for validating antibodies.   During the 1 (st) International Antibody Validation Forum, hosted by St John's Laboratory Ltd on October 15 (th) 2014 at Queen Mary University of London, scientists from academia and industry presented data highlighting quality issues arising from lack of antibody validation. While the forum identified significant current problems in the antibody market, it also discussed future opportunities for improved quality and transparency by encouraging data disclosure and data sharing. This article highlights the key issues and conclusions reached at the forum.

  16. Ethical issues in publishing in predatory journals.

    PubMed

    Ferris, Lorraine E; Winker, Margaret A

    2017-06-15

    Predatory journals, or journals that charge an article processing charge (APC) to authors, yet do not have the hallmarks of legitimate scholarly journals such as peer review and editing, Editorial Boards, editorial offices, and other editorial standards, pose a number of new ethical issues in journal publishing. This paper discusses ethical issues around predatory journals and publishing in them. These issues include misrepresentation; lack of editorial and publishing standards and practices; academic deception; research and funding wasted; lack of archived content; and undermining confidence in research literature. It is important that the scholarly community, including authors, institutions, editors, and publishers, support the legitimate scholarly research enterprise, and avoid supporting predatory journals by not publishing in them, serving as their editors or on the Editorial Boards, or permitting faculty to knowingly publish in them without consequences.

  17. Species co-occurrence analysis predicts management outcomes for multiple threats.

    PubMed

    Tulloch, Ayesha I T; Chadès, Iadine; Lindenmayer, David B

    2018-03-01

    Mitigating the impacts of global anthropogenic change on species is conservation's greatest challenge. Forecasting the effects of actions to mitigate threats is hampered by incomplete information on species' responses. We develop an approach to predict community restructuring under threat management, which combines models of responses to threats with network analyses of species co-occurrence. We discover that contributions by species to network co-occurrence predict their recovery under reduction of multiple threats. Highly connected species are likely to benefit more from threat management than poorly connected species. Importantly, we show that information from a few species on co-occurrence and expected responses to alternative threat management actions can be used to train a response model for an entire community. We use a unique management dataset for a threatened bird community to validate our predictions and, in doing so, demonstrate positive feedbacks in occurrence and co-occurrence resulting from shared threat management responses during ecosystem recovery.

  18. An updated checklist of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) from Madagascar

    PubMed Central

    Tantely, Michaël Luciano; Le Goff, Gilbert; Boyer, Sébastien; Fontenille, Didier

    2016-01-01

    An updated checklist of 235 mosquito species from Madagascar is presented. The number of species has increased considerably compared to previous checklists, particularly the last published in 2003 (178 species). This annotated checklist provides concise information on endemism, taxonomic position, developmental stages, larval habitats, distribution, behavior, and vector-borne diseases potentially transmitted. The 235 species belong to 14 genera: Aedeomyia (3 species), Aedes (35 species), Anopheles (26 species), Coquillettidia (3 species), Culex (at least 50 species), Eretmapodites (4 species), Ficalbia (2 species), Hodgesia (at least one species), Lutzia (one species), Mansonia (2 species), Mimomyia (22 species), Orthopodomyia (8 species), Toxorhynchites (6 species), and Uranotaenia (73 species). Due to non-deciphered species complexes, several species remain undescribed. The main remarkable characteristic of Malagasy mosquito fauna is the high biodiversity with 138 endemic species (59%). Presence and abundance of species, and their association, in a given location could be a bio-indicator of environmental particularities such as urban, rural, forested, deforested, and mountainous habitats. Finally, taking into account that Malagasy culicidian fauna includes 64 species (27%) with a known medical or veterinary interest in the world, knowledge of their biology and host preference summarized in this paper improves understanding of their involvement in pathogen transmission in Madagascar. PMID:27101839

  19. Global Coordination and Standardisation in Marine Biodiversity through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and Related Databases

    PubMed Central

    Bouchet, Philippe; Boxshall, Geoff; Fauchald, Kristian; Gordon, Dennis; Hoeksema, Bert W.; Poore, Gary C. B.; van Soest, Rob W. M.; Stöhr, Sabine; Walter, T. Chad; Vanhoorne, Bart; Decock, Wim

    2013-01-01

    The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all marine species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on marine species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subspecies), 368,000 species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted marine species names, and 26,000 related but non-marine species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the

  20. Global coordination and standardisation in marine biodiversity through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and related databases.

    PubMed

    Costello, Mark J; Bouchet, Philippe; Boxshall, Geoff; Fauchald, Kristian; Gordon, Dennis; Hoeksema, Bert W; Poore, Gary C B; van Soest, Rob W M; Stöhr, Sabine; Walter, T Chad; Vanhoorne, Bart; Decock, Wim; Appeltans, Ward

    2013-01-01

    The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all marine species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on marine species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subspecies), 368,000 species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted marine species names, and 26,000 related but non-marine species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the

  1. Reconciliation of Gene and Species Trees

    PubMed Central

    Rusin, L. Y.; Lyubetskaya, E. V.; Gorbunov, K. Y.; Lyubetsky, V. A.

    2014-01-01

    The first part of the paper briefly overviews the problem of gene and species trees reconciliation with the focus on defining and algorithmic construction of the evolutionary scenario. Basic ideas are discussed for the aspects of mapping definitions, costs of the mapping and evolutionary scenario, imposing time scales on a scenario, incorporating horizontal gene transfers, binarization and reconciliation of polytomous trees, and construction of species trees and scenarios. The review does not intend to cover the vast diversity of literature published on these subjects. Instead, the authors strived to overview the problem of the evolutionary scenario as a central concept in many areas of evolutionary research. The second part provides detailed mathematical proofs for the solutions of two problems: (i) inferring a gene evolution along a species tree accounting for various types of evolutionary events and (ii) trees reconciliation into a single species tree when only gene duplications and losses are allowed. All proposed algorithms have a cubic time complexity and are mathematically proved to find exact solutions. Solving algorithms for problem (ii) can be naturally extended to incorporate horizontal transfers, other evolutionary events, and time scales on the species tree. PMID:24800245

  2. The dissimilarity of species interaction networks.

    PubMed

    Poisot, Timothée; Canard, Elsa; Mouillot, David; Mouquet, Nicolas; Gravel, Dominique

    2012-12-01

    In a context of global changes, and amidst the perpetual modification of community structure undergone by most natural ecosystems, it is more important than ever to understand how species interactions vary through space and time. The integration of biogeography and network theory will yield important results and further our understanding of species interactions. It has, however, been hampered so far by the difficulty to quantify variation among interaction networks. Here, we propose a general framework to study the dissimilarity of species interaction networks over time, space or environments, allowing both the use of quantitative and qualitative data. We decompose network dissimilarity into interactions and species turnover components, so that it is immediately comparable to common measures of β-diversity. We emphasise that scaling up β-diversity of community composition to the β-diversity of interactions requires only a small methodological step, which we foresee will help empiricists adopt this method. We illustrate the framework with a large dataset of hosts and parasites interactions and highlight other possible usages. We discuss a research agenda towards a biogeographical theory of species interactions. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

  3. Microbial species delineation using whole genome sequences.

    PubMed

    Varghese, Neha J; Mukherjee, Supratim; Ivanova, Natalia; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T; Mavrommatis, Kostas; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Pati, Amrita

    2015-08-18

    Increased sequencing of microbial genomes has revealed that prevailing prokaryotic species assignments can be inconsistent with whole genome information for a significant number of species. The long-standing need for a systematic and scalable species assignment technique can be met by the genome-wide Average Nucleotide Identity (gANI) metric, which is widely acknowledged as a robust measure of genomic relatedness. In this work, we demonstrate that the combination of gANI and the alignment fraction (AF) between two genomes accurately reflects their genomic relatedness. We introduce an efficient implementation of AF,gANI and discuss its successful application to 86.5M genome pairs between 13,151 prokaryotic genomes assigned to 3032 species. Subsequently, by comparing the genome clusters obtained from complete linkage clustering of these pairs to existing taxonomy, we observed that nearly 18% of all prokaryotic species suffer from anomalies in species definition. Our results can be used to explore central questions such as whether microorganisms form a continuum of genetic diversity or distinct species represented by distinct genetic signatures. We propose that this precise and objective AF,gANI-based species definition: the MiSI (Microbial Species Identifier) method, be used to address previous inconsistencies in species classification and as the primary guide for new taxonomic species assignment, supplemented by the traditional polyphasic approach, as required. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. Operational Tree Species Mapping in a Diverse Tropical Forest with Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Baldeck, Claire A.; Asner, Gregory P.; Martin, Robin E.; Anderson, Christopher B.; Knapp, David E.; Kellner, James R.; Wright, S. Joseph

    2015-01-01

    Remote identification and mapping of canopy tree species can contribute valuable information towards our understanding of ecosystem biodiversity and function over large spatial scales. However, the extreme challenges posed by highly diverse, closed-canopy tropical forests have prevented automated remote species mapping of non-flowering tree crowns in these ecosystems. We set out to identify individuals of three focal canopy tree species amongst a diverse background of tree and liana species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, using airborne imaging spectroscopy data. First, we compared two leading single-class classification methods—binary support vector machine (SVM) and biased SVM—for their performance in identifying pixels of a single focal species. From this comparison we determined that biased SVM was more precise and created a multi-species classification model by combining the three biased SVM models. This model was applied to the imagery to identify pixels belonging to the three focal species and the prediction results were then processed to create a map of focal species crown objects. Crown-level cross-validation of the training data indicated that the multi-species classification model had pixel-level producer’s accuracies of 94–97% for the three focal species, and field validation of the predicted crown objects indicated that these had user’s accuracies of 94–100%. Our results demonstrate the ability of high spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing to accurately detect non-flowering crowns of focal species within a diverse tropical forest. We attribute the success of our model to recent classification and mapping techniques adapted to species detection in diverse closed-canopy forests, which can pave the way for remote species mapping in a wider variety of ecosystems. PMID:26153693

  5. Rabbit as an animal model for intravitreal pharmacokinetics: Clinical predictability and quality of the published data.

    PubMed

    Del Amo, Eva M; Urtti, Arto

    2015-08-01

    Intravitreal administration is the method of choice in drug delivery to the retina and/or choroid. Rabbit is the most commonly used animal species in intravitreal pharmacokinetics, but it has been criticized as being a poor model of human eye. The critique is based on some anatomical differences, properties of the vitreous humor, and observed differences in drug concentrations in the anterior chamber after intravitreal injections. We have systematically analyzed all published information on intravitreal pharmacokinetics in the rabbit and human eye. The analysis revealed major problems in the design of the pharmacokinetic studies. In this review we provide advice for study design. Overall, the pharmacokinetic parameters (clearance, volume of distribution, half-life) in the human and rabbit eye have good correlation and comparable absolute values. Therefore, reliable rabbit-to-man translation of intravitreal pharmacokinetics should be feasible. The relevant anatomical and physiological parameters in rabbit and man show only small differences. Furthermore, the claimed discrepancy between drug concentrations in the human and rabbit aqueous humor is not supported by the data analysis. Based on the available and properly conducted pharmacokinetic studies, the differences in the vitreous structure in rabbits and human patients do not lead to significant pharmacokinetic differences. This review is the first step towards inter-species translation of intravitreal pharmacokinetics. More information is still needed to dissect the roles of drug delivery systems, disease states, age and ocular manipulation on the intravitreal pharmacokinetics in rabbit and man. Anyway, the published data and the derived pharmacokinetic parameters indicate that the rabbit is a useful animal model in intravitreal pharmacokinetics. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. On the dangers of model complexity without ecological justification in species distribution modeling

    Treesearch

    David M. Bell; Daniel R. Schlaepfer

    2016-01-01

    Although biogeographic patterns are the product of complex ecological processes, the increasing com-plexity of correlative species distribution models (SDMs) is not always motivated by ecological theory,but by model fit. The validity of model projections, such as shifts in a species’ climatic niche, becomesquestionable particularly during extrapolations, such as for...

  7. Expanding the Species and Chemical Diversity of Penicillium Section Cinnamopurpurea

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Stephen W.; Jurjević, Željko; Frisvad, Jens C.

    2015-01-01

    A set of isolates very similar to or potentially conspecific with an unidentified Penicillium isolate NRRL 735, was assembled using a BLAST search of ITS similarity among described (GenBank) and undescribed Penicillium isolates in our laboratories. DNA was amplified from six loci of the assembled isolates and sequenced. Two species in section Cinnamopurpurea are self-compatible sexual species, but the asexual species had polymorphic loci suggestive of sexual reproduction and variation in conidium size suggestive of ploidy level differences typical of heterothallism. Accordingly we use genealogical concordance analysis, a technique valid only in heterothallic organisms, for putatively asexual species. Seven new species were revealed in the analysis and are described here. Extrolite analysis showed that two of the new species, P. colei and P. monsserratidens produce the mycotoxin citreoviridin that has demonstrated pharmacological activity against human lung tumors. These isolates could provide leads in pharmaceutical research. PMID:25853891

  8. Comments on Controversial Tick (Acari: Ixodida) Species Names and Species Described or Resurrected from 2003 to 2008

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-24

    African swine fever in the Caribbean region (Acari: Argasidae). Prev Vet Med 2:63-70. doi:10.1016/0167-5877(84)90049-7...that A. fischeri may be a valid name, but its resurrection will hinge on comparison of African and European tick popu- lations, and, to the best of...1949. Apanaskevich and Horak (2006) demonstrated that the African populations of Hyalomma turanicum correspond to the resurrected species H.

  9. Simultaneous Quantification of Syringic Acid and Kaempferol in Extracts of Bergenia Species Using Validated High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic-Densitometric Method.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, Nishi; Srivastava, Amit; Srivastava, Sharad; Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh; Khan, Abdul Rahman

    2016-03-01

    A rapid, sensitive, selective and robust quantitative densitometric high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method was developed and validated for separation and quantification of syringic acid (SYA) and kaempferol (KML) in the hydrolyzed extracts of Bergenia ciliata and Bergenia stracheyi. The separation was performed on silica gel 60F254 high-performance thin-layer chromatography plates using toluene : ethyl acetate : formic acid (5 : 4: 1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The quantification of SYA and KML was carried out using a densitometric reflection/absorption mode at 290 nm. A dense spot of SYA and KML appeared on the developed plate at a retention factor value of 0.61 ± 0.02 and 0.70 ± 0.01. A precise and accurate quantification was performed using linear regression analysis by plotting the peak area vs concentration 100-600 ng/band (correlation coefficient: r = 0.997, regression coefficient: R(2) = 0.996) for SYA and 100-600 ng/band (correlation coefficient: r = 0.995, regression coefficient: R(2) = 0.991) for KML. The developed method was validated in terms of accuracy, recovery and inter- and intraday study as per International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of SYA and KML were determined, respectively, as 91.63, 142.26 and 277.67, 431.09 ng. The statistical data analysis showed that the method is reproducible and selective for the estimation of SYA and KML in extracts of B. ciliata and B. stracheyi. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Revision of the new world species of Hylurgops LeConte, 1876 with the description of a new genus in the Hylastini (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) and comments on some Palearctic species

    Treesearch

    Javier E. Mercado-Velez; Jose F. Negron

    2014-01-01

    The New World species of the genus Hylurgops LeConte are revised and Hylurgops subcostulatus Mannerheim is transferred to the new genus Pachysquamus. A revised key to the tribe Hylastini which can be used for the world fauna is presented to include Pachysquamus. Our studies suggest that the Nearctic species H. knausi Swaine is a valid taxon, distinguishable from the...

  11. Desktop Publishing: Changing Technology, Changing Occupations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanton, Michael

    1991-01-01

    Describes desktop publishing (DTP) and its place in corporations. Lists job titles of those working in desktop publishing and describes DTP as it is taught at secondary and postsecondary levels and by private trainers. (JOW)

  12. A New Human-Biting Black Fly Species of Simulium (Simulium) (Diptera: Simuliidae) From Thailand.

    PubMed

    Takaoka, Hiroyuki; Srisuka, Wichai; Saeung, Atiporn

    2017-07-01

    Simulium (Simulium) umphangense, a new human-biting species of black fly, is described based on females captured while attacking humans in western and central Thailand. The female of this new species is similar to those of S. (S.) indicum Becher, S. (S.) nigrogilvum Summers, and S. (S.) vanellum Huang et al. in the Simulium griseifrons species-group of the subgenus Simulium Latreille in having the frons densely covered with golden-yellow short hairs, a character rarely found in the subgenus Simulium. This new species is readily distinguished from the three related species by having a darkened fore tibia, a bare subcosta (or rarely with a few hairs), and an ovipositor valve not protruded posteriorly. Additional diagnostic characters of this new species are noted. This is the seventh human-biting species of black fly in Thailand. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com Version of Record, first published online April 7, 2017 with fixed content and layout in compliance with Art. 8.1.3.2 ICZN.

  13. TimeTree2: species divergence times on the iPhone.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Sudhir; Hedges, S Blair

    2011-07-15

    Scientists, educators and the general public often need to know times of divergence between species. But they rarely can locate that information because it is buried in the scientific literature, usually in a format that is inaccessible to text search engines. We have developed a public knowledgebase that enables data-driven access to the collection of peer-reviewed publications in molecular evolution and phylogenetics that have reported estimates of time of divergence between species. Users can query the TimeTree resource by providing two names of organisms (common or scientific) that can correspond to species or groups of species. The current TimeTree web resource (TimeTree2) contains timetrees reported from molecular clock analyses in 910 published studies and 17 341 species that span the diversity of life. TimeTree2 interprets complex and hierarchical data from these studies for each user query, which can be launched using an iPhone application, in addition to the website. Published time estimates are now readily accessible to the scientific community, K-12 and college educators, and the general public, without requiring knowledge of evolutionary nomenclature. TimeTree2 is accessible from the URL http://www.timetree.org, with an iPhone app available from iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timetree/id372842500?mt=8) and a YouTube tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxmshZQciwo).

  14. Promises and Realities of Desktop Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Patricia A.; Craig, Robert L.

    1991-01-01

    Examines the underlying assumptions of the rhetoric of desktop publishing promoters. Suggests four criteria to help educators provide insights into issues and challenges concerning desktop publishing technology that design students will face on the job. (MG)

  15. Why publish in national journals?

    PubMed

    Grinberg, Max; Solimene, Maria Cecília; Barreto, Maria do Carmo Cavarette

    2012-03-01

    The reluctance of Brazilian authors to publish in Brazilian journals is historical and no longer justified. Currently, several Brazilian journals are indexed in international databases, of which English versions allow disclosure of our studies to foreign countries. The authors express their views on the importance of publishing in national journals and cite the example of the impact of publications from Instituto do Coração - InCor-HCFMUSP in the past two years.

  16. Ethical guidelines for publishing in the journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle: update 2017.

    PubMed

    von Haehling, Stephan; Morley, John E; Coats, Andrew J S; Anker, Stefan D

    2017-12-01

    This article details an updated version of the principles of ethical authorship and publishing in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (JCSM). At the time of submission to JCSM, the corresponding author, on behalf of all co-authors, needs to certify adherence to these principles. The principles are as follows: All authors listed on a manuscript considered for publication have approved its submission and (if accepted) publication as provided to JCSM. No person who has a right to be recognized as author has been omitted from the list of authors on the submitted manuscript. Each author has made a material and independent contribution to the work submitted for publication. The submitted work is original and is neither under consideration elsewhere nor that it has been published previously in whole or in part other than in abstract form. All authors certify that the work is original and does not contain excessive overlap with prior or contemporaneous publication elsewhere, and where the publication reports on cohorts, trials, or data that have been reported on before these other publications must be referenced. All original research work has been approved by the relevant bodies such as institutional review boards or ethics committees. All conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, that may affect the authors' ability to present data objectively, and relevant sources of funding have been duly declared in the manuscript. The manuscript in its published form will be maintained on the servers of JCSM as a valid publication only as long as all statements in the guidelines on ethical publishing remain true. If any of the aforementioned statements ceases to be true, the authors have a duty to notify the Editors of JCSM as soon as possible so that the available information regarding the published article can be updated and/or the manuscript can be withdrawn. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on

  17. Plagiarism in scientific publishing.

    PubMed

    Masic, Izet

    2012-12-01

    Scientific publishing is the ultimate product of scientist work. Number of publications and their quoting are measures of scientist success while unpublished researches are invisible to the scientific community, and as such nonexistent. Researchers in their work rely on their predecessors, while the extent of use of one scientist work, as a source for the work of other authors is the verification of its contributions to the growth of human knowledge. If the author has published an article in a scientific journal it cannot publish the article in any other journal h with a few minor adjustments or without quoting parts of the first article, which are used in another article. Copyright infringement occurs when the author of a new article with or without the mentioning the author used substantial portions of previously published articles, including tables and figures. Scientific institutions and universities should,in accordance with the principles of Good Scientific Practice (GSP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) have a center for monitoring,security, promotion and development of quality research. Establish rules and compliance to rules of good scientific practice are the obligations of each research institutions,universities and every individual-researchers,regardless of which area of science is investigated. In this way, internal quality control ensures that a research institution such as a university, assume responsibility for creating an environment that promotes standards of excellence, intellectual honesty and legality. Although the truth should be the aim of scientific research, it is not guiding fact for all scientists. The best way to reach the truth in its study and to avoid the methodological and ethical mistakes is to consistently apply scientific methods and ethical standards in research. Although variously defined plagiarism is basically intended to deceive the reader's own scientific contribution. There is no general regulation of control of

  18. Making the Leap to Desktop Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schleifer, Neal

    1986-01-01

    Describes one teacher's approach to desktop publishing. Explains how the Macintosh and LaserWriter were used in the publication of a school newspaper. Guidelines are offered to teachers for the establishment of a desktop publishing lab. (ML)

  19. Philadelphia Printing and Publishing, 1876-1976

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitehead, Thomas M.

    1976-01-01

    Two Philadelphia printing histories, both reflecting the relationship of printing to publishing, are examined in this article: the manufacture by the publisher of his own product and the development and commercialization of the photomechanical halftone process. (Author)

  20. Gathering Validity Evidence for Surgical Simulation: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Borgersen, Nanna Jo; Naur, Therese M H; Sørensen, Stine M D; Bjerrum, Flemming; Konge, Lars; Subhi, Yousif; Thomsen, Ann Sofia S

    2018-06-01

    To identify current trends in the use of validity frameworks in surgical simulation, to provide an overview of the evidence behind the assessment of technical skills in all surgical specialties, and to present recommendations and guidelines for future validity studies. Validity evidence for assessment tools used in the evaluation of surgical performance is of paramount importance to ensure valid and reliable assessment of skills. We systematically reviewed the literature by searching 5 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library) for studies published from January 1, 2008, to July 10, 2017. We included original studies evaluating simulation-based assessments of health professionals in surgical specialties and extracted data on surgical specialty, simulator modality, participant characteristics, and the validity framework used. Data were synthesized qualitatively. We identified 498 studies with a total of 18,312 participants. Publications involving validity assessments in surgical simulation more than doubled from 2008 to 2010 (∼30 studies/year) to 2014 to 2016 (∼70 to 90 studies/year). Only 6.6% of the studies used the recommended contemporary validity framework (Messick). The majority of studies used outdated frameworks such as face validity. Significant differences were identified across surgical specialties. The evaluated assessment tools were mostly inanimate or virtual reality simulation models. An increasing number of studies have gathered validity evidence for simulation-based assessments in surgical specialties, but the use of outdated frameworks remains common. To address the current practice, this paper presents guidelines on how to use the contemporary validity framework when designing validity studies.

  1. Open Access Publishing in the Electronic Age.

    PubMed

    Kovács, Gábor L

    2014-10-01

    The principle of open-access (OA) publishing is more and more prevalent also on the field of laboratory medicine. Open-access journals (OAJs) are available online to the reader usually without financial, legal, or technical barriers. Some are subsidized, and some require payment on behalf of the author. OAJs are one of the two general methods for providing OA. The other one is self-archiving in a repository. The electronic journal of the IFCC (eJIFCC) is a platinum OAJ- i.e. there is no charge to read, or to submit to this journal. Traditionally, the author was required to transfer the copyright to the journal publisher. Publishers claimed this was necessary in order to protect author's rights. However, many authors found this unsatisfactory, and have used their influence to affect a gradual move towards a license to publish instead. Under such a system, the publisher has permission to edit, print, and distribute the article commercially, but the author(s) retain the other rights themselves. An OA mandate is a policy adopted by a research institution, research funder, or government which requires researchers to make their published, peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers OA by self-archiving their peer-reviewed drafts in a repository ("green OA") or by publishing them in an OAJ ("gold OA"). Creative Commons (CC) is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. The free, easy-to-use copyright licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use creative work. CC licenses let you easily change your copyright terms from the default of "all rights reserved" to "some rights reserved." OA publishing also raises a number of new ethical problems (e.g. predatory publishers, fake papers). Laboratory scientists are encouraged to publish their scientific results OA (especially in eJIFCC). They should, however, be aware of their rights, institutional mandate

  2. Monoclonal Antibody and Fusion Protein Biosimilars Across Therapeutic Areas: A Systematic Review of Published Evidence.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Ira; Petersel, Danielle; Shane, Lesley G; Ng, Chee-Keng; Kirchhoff, Carol; Finch, Gregory; Lula, Sadiq

    2016-12-01

    Despite regulatory efforts to formalize guidance policies on biosimilars, there remains a need to educate healthcare stakeholders on the acknowledged definition of biosimilarity and the data that underpin it. The objectives of the study were to systematically collate published data for monoclonal antibodies and fusion protein biosimilars indicated for cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, and other indications, and to explore differences in the type and weight (quantity and quality) of available evidence. MEDLINE, Embase, and ISI Web of Science were searched to September 2015. Conference proceedings (n = 17) were searched 2012 to July 2015. Included studies were categorized by originator, study type, and indication. To assess data strength and validity, risk of bias assessments were undertaken. Across therapeutic areas, 43 named (marketed or proposed) biosimilars were identified for adalimumab, abciximab, bevacizumab, etanercept, infliximab, omalizumab, ranibizumab, rituximab, and trastuzumab originators. Infliximab CT-P13, SB2, and etanercept SB4 biosimilars have the greatest amount of published evidence of similarity with their originators, based on results of clinical studies involving larger numbers of patients or healthy subjects (N = 1405, 743, and 734, respectively). Published data were also retrieved for marketed intended copies of etanercept and rituximab. This unbiased synthesis of the literature exposed significant differences in the extent of published evidence between molecules at preclinical, clinical, and post-marketing stages of development, providing clinicians and payers with a consolidated view of the available data and remaining gaps.

  3. Quantifying species recovery and conservation success to develop an IUCN Green List of Species.

    PubMed

    Akçakaya, H Resit; Bennett, Elizabeth L; Brooks, Thomas M; Grace, Molly K; Heath, Anna; Hedges, Simon; Hilton-Taylor, Craig; Hoffmann, Michael; Keith, David A; Long, Barney; Mallon, David P; Meijaard, Erik; Milner-Gulland, E J; Rodrigues, Ana S L; Rodriguez, Jon Paul; Stephenson, P J; Stuart, Simon N; Young, Richard P

    2018-03-26

    Stopping declines in biodiversity is critically important, but it is only a first step toward achieving more ambitious conservation goals. The absence of an objective and practical definition of species recovery that is applicable across taxonomic groups leads to inconsistent targets in recovery plans and frustrates reporting and maximization of conservation impact. We devised a framework for comprehensively assessing species recovery and conservation success. We propose a definition of a fully recovered species that emphasizes viability, ecological functionality, and representation; and use counterfactual approaches to quantify degree of recovery. This allowed us to calculate a set of 4 conservation metrics that demonstrate impacts of conservation efforts to date (conservation legacy); identify dependence of a species on conservation actions (conservation dependence); quantify expected gains resulting from conservation action in the medium term (conservation gain); and specify requirements to achieve maximum plausible recovery over the long term (recovery potential). These metrics can incentivize the establishment and achievement of ambitious conservation targets. We illustrate their use by applying the framework to a vertebrate, an invertebrate, and a woody and an herbaceous plant. Our approach is a preliminary framework for an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Species, which was mandated by a resolution of IUCN members in 2012. Although there are several challenges in applying our proposed framework to a wide range of species, we believe its further development, implementation, and integration with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species will help catalyze a positive and ambitious vision for conservation that will drive sustained conservation action. © 2018 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  4. Phylogeny and species traits predict bird detectability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Solymos, Peter; Matsuoka, Steven M.; Stralberg, Diana; Barker, Nicole K. S.; Bayne, Erin M.

    2018-01-01

    Avian acoustic communication has resulted from evolutionary pressures and ecological constraints. We therefore expect that auditory detectability in birds might be predictable by species traits and phylogenetic relatedness. We evaluated the relationship between phylogeny, species traits, and field‐based estimates of the two processes that determine species detectability (singing rate and detection distance) for 141 bird species breeding in boreal North America. We used phylogenetic mixed models and cross‐validation to compare the relative merits of using trait data only, phylogeny only, or the combination of both to predict detectability. We found a strong phylogenetic signal in both singing rates and detection distances; however the strength of phylogenetic effects was less than expected under Brownian motion evolution. The evolution of behavioural traits that determine singing rates was found to be more labile, leaving more room for species to evolve independently, whereas detection distance was mostly determined by anatomy (i.e. body size) and thus the laws of physics. Our findings can help in disentangling how complex ecological and evolutionary mechanisms have shaped different aspects of detectability in boreal birds. Such information can greatly inform single‐ and multi‐species models but more work is required to better understand how to best correct possible biases in phylogenetic diversity and other community metrics.

  5. 47 CFR 36.375 - Published directory listing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Published directory listing. 36.375 Section 36... Customer Operations Expenses § 36.375 Published directory listing. (a) This classification includes expenses for preparing or purchasing, compiling and disseminating directory listings. (b) Published...

  6. 50 CFR 23.54 - How long is a U.S. or foreign CITES document valid?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) Application Procedures, Criteria, and Conditions § 23.54... certificate of origin will be valid for no longer than 12 months from the issuance date. (3) A traveling..., except under limited circumstances for certain timber species as outlined in § 23.73. ...

  7. 50 CFR 23.54 - How long is a U.S. or foreign CITES document valid?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) Application Procedures, Criteria, and Conditions § 23.54... certificate of origin will be valid for no longer than 12 months from the issuance date. (3) A traveling..., except under limited circumstances for certain timber species as outlined in § 23.73. ...

  8. 50 CFR 23.54 - How long is a U.S. or foreign CITES document valid?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) Application Procedures, Criteria, and Conditions § 23.54... certificate of origin will be valid for no longer than 12 months from the issuance date. (3) A traveling..., except under limited circumstances for certain timber species as outlined in § 23.73. ...

  9. 50 CFR 23.54 - How long is a U.S. or foreign CITES document valid?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) Application Procedures, Criteria, and Conditions § 23.54... certificate of origin will be valid for no longer than 12 months from the issuance date. (3) A traveling..., except under limited circumstances for certain timber species as outlined in § 23.73. ...

  10. The application of species criteria in avian taxonomy and its implications for the debate over species concepts.

    PubMed

    Sangster, George

    2014-02-01

    The debate over species concepts has produced a huge body of literature on how species can, may or should be delimited. By contrast, very few studies have documented how species taxa are delimited in practice. The aims of the present study were to (i) quantify the use of species criteria in taxonomy, (ii) discuss its implications for the debate over species concepts and (iii) assess recent claims about the impact of different species concepts on taxonomic stability and the 'nature' of species. The application of six species criteria was examined in taxonomic studies of birds published between 1950 and 2009. Three types of taxonomic studies were included: descriptions of new species (N = 329), proposals to change the taxonomic rank of species and subspecies (N = 808) and the taxonomic recommendations of the American Ornithologists' Union Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (N = 176). In all three datasets, diagnosability was the most frequently applied criterion, followed by reproductive isolation and degree of difference. This result is inconsistent with the popular notion that the Biological Species Concept is the dominant species concept in avian taxonomy. Since the 1950s, avian species-level taxonomy has become increasingly pluralistic and eclectic. This suggests that taxonomists consider different criteria as complementary rather than as rival approaches to species delimitation. Application of diagnosability more frequently led to the elevation of subspecies to species rank than application of reproductive isolation, although the difference was small. Hypotheses based on diagnosability and reproductive isolation were equally likely to be accepted in a mainstream checklist. These findings contradict recent claims that application of the Phylogenetic Species Concept causes instability and that broader application of the Biological Species Concept can stabilise taxonomy. The criteria diagnosability and monophyly, which are commonly associated

  11. Note on concurrent validation of the personality assessment inventory in law enforcement.

    PubMed

    Hays, J R

    1997-08-01

    This study compared the Personality Assessment Inventory and MMPI-168 profiles of 9 law enforcement applicants with published MMPI profiles to provide concurrent validation for the use of the Personality Assessment Inventory to assess personality pathology of peace officer applicants. The sample showed subclinical elevations of the Positive Impression and Treatment Rejection scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory and subclinical elevations on the MMPI validity scales of Lie and Correction and the clinical scales of Psychopathic Deviate and Hypomania. The applicants' mean MMPI profile provided concurrent validation for the use of the Personality Assessment Inventory in this decision on fitness to serve.

  12. 15 CFR 10.10 - Review of published standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review of published standards. 10.10... DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY PRODUCT STANDARDS § 10.10 Review of published standards. (a) Each standard published... considered until a replacement standard is published. (b) Each standard published under these or previous...

  13. Effect of species rarity on the accuracy of species distribution models for reptiles and amphibians in southern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Franklin, J.; Wejnert, K.E.; Hathaway, S.A.; Rochester, C.J.; Fisher, R.N.

    2009-01-01

    Aim: Several studies have found that more accurate predictive models of species' occurrences can be developed for rarer species; however, one recent study found the relationship between range size and model performance to be an artefact of sample prevalence, that is, the proportion of presence versus absence observations in the data used to train the model. We examined the effect of model type, species rarity class, species' survey frequency, detectability and manipulated sample prevalence on the accuracy of distribution models developed for 30 reptile and amphibian species. Location: Coastal southern California, USA. Methods: Classification trees, generalized additive models and generalized linear models were developed using species presence and absence data from 420 locations. Model performance was measured using sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) plot based on twofold cross-validation, or on bootstrapping. Predictors included climate, terrain, soil and vegetation variables. Species were assigned to rarity classes by experts. The data were sampled to generate subsets with varying ratios of presences and absences to test for the effect of sample prevalence. Join count statistics were used to characterize spatial dependence in the prediction errors. Results: Species in classes with higher rarity were more accurately predicted than common species, and this effect was independent of sample prevalence. Although positive spatial autocorrelation remained in the prediction errors, it was weaker than was observed in the species occurrence data. The differences in accuracy among model types were slight. Main conclusions: Using a variety of modelling methods, more accurate species distribution models were developed for rarer than for more common species. This was presumably because it is difficult to discriminate suitable from unsuitable habitat for habitat generalists, and not as an artefact of the

  14. Predatory publishing and cybercrime targeting academics.

    PubMed

    Umlauf, Mary Grace; Mochizuki, Yuki

    2018-04-01

    The purpose of this report is to inform and warn academics about practices used by cybercriminals who seek to profit from unwary scholars and undermine the industry of science. This report describes the signs, symptoms, characteristics, and consequences of predatory publishing and related forms of consumer fraud. Methods to curb these cybercrimes include educating scholars and students about tactics used by predatory publishers; institutional changes in how faculty are evaluated using publications; soliciting cooperation from the industries that support academic publishing and indexing to curb incorporation of illegitimate journals; and taking an offensive position by reporting these consumer fraud crimes to the authorities. Over and above the problem of publishing good science in fraudulent journals, disseminating and citing poor-quality research threaten the credibility of science and of nursing. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  15. Electronic Publishing and Library Technical Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aveney, Brian

    1984-01-01

    Trends in electronic editions, on-demand publishing, and online publishing are reviewed and their potential effects on library services and organization are discussed, including library material selection, acquisitions, cataloging, serials, circulation, and home printers. Thirteen references are provided. (EJS)

  16. The Validation by Measurement Theory of Proposed Object-Oriented Software Metrics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neal, Ralph D.

    1996-01-01

    Moving software development into the engineering arena requires controllability, and to control a process, it must be measurable. Measuring the process does no good if the product is not also measured, i.e., being the best at producing an inferior product does not define a quality process. Also, not every number extracted from software development is a valid measurement. A valid measurement only results when we are able to verify that the number is representative of the attribute that we wish to measure. Many proposed software metrics are used by practitioners without these metrics ever having been validated, leading to costly but often useless calculations. Several researchers have bemoaned the lack of scientific precision in much of the published software measurement work and have called for validation of software metrics by measurement theory. This dissertation applies measurement theory to validate fifty proposed object-oriented software metrics.

  17. Exploring the reliability and validity of the social-moral awareness test.

    PubMed

    Livesey, Alexandra; Dodd, Karen; Pote, Helen; Marlow, Elizabeth

    2012-11-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the validity of the social-moral awareness test (SMAT) a measure designed for assessing socio-moral rule knowledge and reasoning in people with learning disabilities. Comparisons between Theory of Mind and socio-moral reasoning allowed the exploration of construct validity of the tool. Factor structure, reliability and discriminant validity were also assessed. Seventy-one participants with mild-moderate learning disabilities completed the two scales of the SMAT and two False Belief Tasks for Theory of Mind. Reliability of the SMAT was very good, and the scales were shown to be uni-dimensional in factor structure. There was a significant positive relationship between Theory of Mind and both SMAT scales. There is early evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the SMAT. Further assessment of the validity of the SMAT will be required. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Privacy-preserving periodical publishing for medical information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Hua; Ju, Shi-guang; Liu, Shan-cheng

    2013-07-01

    Existing privacy-preserving publishing models can not meet the requirement of periodical publishing for medical information whether these models are static or dynamic. This paper presents a (k,l)-anonymity model with keeping individual association and a principle based on (Epsilon)-invariance group for subsequent periodical publishing, and then, the PKIA and PSIGI algorithms are designed for them. The proposed methods can reserve more individual association with privacy-preserving and have better publishing quality. Experiments confirm our theoretical results and its practicability.

  19. Relationship Between Photochemical Quenching and Non-Photochemical Quenching in Six Species of Cyanobacteria Reveals Species Difference in Redox State and Species Commonality in Energy Dissipation.

    PubMed

    Misumi, Masahiro; Katoh, Hiroshi; Tomo, Tatsuya; Sonoike, Kintake

    2016-07-01

    Although the photosynthetic reaction center is well conserved among different cyanobacterial species, the modes of metabolism, e.g. respiratory, nitrogen and carbon metabolism and their mutual interaction, are quite diverse. To explore such uniformity and diversity among cyanobacteria, here we compare the influence of the light environment on the condition of photosynthetic electron transport through Chl fluorescence measurement of six cyanobacterial species grown under the same photon flux densities and at the same temperature. In the dark or under weak light, up to growth light, a large difference in the plastoquinone (PQ) redox condition was observed among different cyanobacterial species. The observed difference indicates that the degree of interaction between respiratory electron transfer and photosynthetic electron transfer differs among different cyanobacterial species. The variation could not be ascribed to the phylogenetic differences but possibly to the light environment of the original habitat. On the other hand, changes in the redox condition of PQ were essentially identical among different species at photon flux densities higher than the growth light. We further analyzed the response to high light by using a typical energy allocation model and found that 'non-regulated' thermal dissipation was increased under high-light conditions in all cyanobacterial species tested. We assume that such 'non-regulated' thermal dissipation may be an important 'regulatory' mechanism in the acclimation of cyanobacterial cells to high-light conditions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.

  20. Multi-resistant aspergillosis due to cryptic species.

    PubMed

    Howard, Susan Julie

    2014-12-01

    Reports of cryptic species causing aspergillosis in humans are increasing in the literature. Cryptic species are defined as those which are morphologically indistinguishable, although their identifications can be confirmed using molecular or other techniques which continue to become more widely available in the clinical setting. Antifungal resistance has often been noted in these cases, and indeed there does appear to be a higher prevalence of reduced susceptibility in cryptic species. Many of these observations are published as individual case reports or as a small component of larger data sets, making it challenging to review and compare the data fully. This review article seeks to describe the susceptibility trends and key learning outcomes of specific cases of infections caused by cryptic species, including Aspergillus alliaceus, Aspergillus calidoustus, Aspergillus felis, Aspergillus lentulus, Aspergillus tubingensis, Aspergillus viridinutans and Neosartorya pseudofischeri. These reports highlight the clinical need for full accurate identification and susceptibility testing to guide patient care.