169,924 research outputs found
Comment on “Insulative capacity of the integument of the dugong (Dugong dugon): thermal conductivity, conductance and resistance measured by in vitro heat flux”
No full textCommunicated by U. Sommer.
This article presents original research to investigate the relationship between integumentary composition and predictive thermal capacity. The authors suggest that cold stress syndrome (CSS) is unlikely to occur in dugongs, a claim that is at odds with a recent study from our group where we described the local appearance of mortality cases consistent with this syndrome. Horgan et al. (2014) made two statements, in particular, which disregarded a diagnosis following observations by specialist veterinary pathologists, yet without, to our knowledge, accessing the material themselves and instead quoting ‘unpublished data’ to support their conclusions. Further, and importantly, Horgan et al. (2014) ignore the pathological changes we described in other organ systems, which were consistent with changes noted during CSS in manatees and led to our diagnosis.
Cold stress syndrome is an incompletely understood but clearly very complicated, multisystemic entity that has been described as affecting Florida manatees chronically exposed to cold water (Bossart et al. 2002). Florida and south-east Queensland (QLD) are very similar in climate, species composition and marine environment. In 2013, our group published an article comparing the lesions described in manatees with those we were seeing in many of the dugongs presenting to our post-mortem room during the colder months of the year in Queensland. This description was combined with presentation of supporting environmental data (Owen et al. 2013).
Horgan, Booth, Nichols and Lanyon have made statements contradicting our argument in their article, namely: “with no credible pathological evidence of CSS (cf. Owen et al. 2013)” and “Skin lesions suggested as characteristic of cold stress and reported for dugongs by Owen et al. (2013) are grossly and histologically different to those reported for the Florida manatee, are found in dugongs throughout the tropics (Woolford and Lanyon unpublished data) and are also found in dugongs in cooler waters outside the winter period (the latter point also reported by Owen et al. 2013). Each of these factors casts serious doubt as to these skin characteristics being thermally related”. These statements are not based on sound scientific principles.
In the former instance, this statement has been made without offering any supporting or qualifying evidence and is therefore an unsubstantiated opinion. The dugong samples used for Owen et al. (2013) were assessed and compared by experienced pathologists and experts in marine population health, one of whom (MF) is in the unique position of having first-hand experience with disease in both manatees in Florida and dugongs in southeast QLD. Data and the resulting interpretations in this article were also deemed as credible by multiple reviewers. The qualifying evidence in support of the second unsubstantiated statement by Horgan et al. (2014) is that dugongs do not exhibit cold stress at 15 °C, which has been linked to Bossart et al. (2002, 2004) studies on manatees. Neither of these articles have any reference to dugongs, raising question as to where this information was derived. Further, the evidence offered by Horgan et al. (2014) in this statement is logically questionable in the way it concludes dugongs cannot get cold stress and is insufficient, based on unpublished data and misleading for other studies into this syndrome.
It is inadequate to suggest that skin lesions in the two species are different without supportive data and a reasonable scientific basis. A major concern of this rebuttal of our work is that the authors are hinging their scientific arguments by making a statement about lesions in cases they have not seen (grossly or histologically) and are then using this unfounded opinion to dismiss peer-reviewed scientific data. In addition, the precise nature of these “differences” identified by the authors needs to be described in order for their significance to be determined by the reader. Even without this information, we are sceptical that diagnostically significant differences exist as skin has a very stereotypical and non-specific range of responses to any chronic injury. Chronic lesions that are essentially indistinguishable, particularly on gross examination, can be produced by a wide array of triggers. For this reason, even though the authors have noted similar lesions in “dugongs throughout the tropics”, these lesions could have a completely different cause to those reported in our study. Also, it is diagnostically dangerous to assume that an animal in one region requires the same conditions (in this case, the same low-temperature trigger point) as an animal in another region to express the clinical signs of a disease. We do not understand the influences of geography and species differences on precipitating environmental conditions, and it is important that researchers keep an open mind and report without bias. Finally, the authors’ suggestion that these lesions are seen in dugongs throughout the tropics is misleading given dugongs’ vast range and the nature of response to syndromes. The dugong’s range spans estimated tropical and subtropical coastal and island waters of some 40 countries encompassing approximately 860,000 km2 (Marsh et al. 2012) and would require a range of trigger points unique to each locale to manifest skin lesions. Even if the authors have noted these lesions in their study sites, they cannot extrapolate to all dugong habitat and aetiologies to draw their presented conclusions.
This article highlights how misleading it can be to examine one lesion in isolation rather than the animal as a whole and to make generalizations on syndromes without solid evidence, particularly in species where response to disease is not well documented or understood. Cold stress syndrome is also obviously a complicated disease, and a multifactorial aetiology is likely, given that some animals in a particular environment can be affected while others are not. Expecting a direct cause-and-effect relationship with water temperature risks oversimplifying the syndrome and will encourage future researchers to overlook data that could be vital to increase our understanding.
A holistic and multidisciplinary approach is required in order for us to progress our understanding of this entity. We hope researchers in this field are not swayed or discouraged by the opinion presented in Horgan, Booth, Nichols and Lanyon’s recent article and rather view the data presented as a potential piece in the CSS puzzle that requires a collegial effort to solve
Proablepharus barrylyoni Couper, Limpus, Mcdonald & Amey, 2010, sp. nov.
No full textProablepharus barrylyoni sp. nov. (Figs 1 and 2) Material. HOLOTYPE: QMJ 40339, Springfield Stn, via Mt Surprise, Queensland, Australia (18 ° 02’ S, 144 ° 24 ’ E). Collected by C. J. Limpus and K. R. McDonald, 1 Sept., 1979. PARATYPES QMJ 40327 – QMJ 40338, QMJ 40340 – QMJ 40341, QMJ 40710 – QMJ 40714; QMJ 40998 – QMJ 41003, QMJ 69452, QMJ 78115 – QMJ 78116, locality data as for holotype (all paratypes collected Aug-Sept, 1979-1981). Additional material. QMJ 87231 – QMJ 87233 (eggs laid in captivity from wild caught gravid females), QMJ 87221 – QMJ 87230 (hatchlings from eggs incubated in captivity) Springfield Stn, Mt Surprise, Queensland, Australia. Etymology. Named for Barry Lyon who played an important role in collecting the type series of this species and for his contributions to wildlife conservation across Cape York Peninsula. Diagnosis. A large, longitudinally striped Proablepharus (maximum SVL 51 mm) with four supraoculars, five supraciliaries, fused interparietal/frontoparietals, a well-developed upper preocular, two postsupralabials and smoothly rounded subdigital lamellae on digits of the hind limb. Measurements and Meristics. SVL (mm) 32.8–50.9 (n = 29, mean = 44.6, SD = 4.6). AG 55.3–66.2 % SVL (n = 28, mean = 59.2, SD = 2.8); TL = 160 % SVL; HL 14.2–18.8 % SVL (n = 27, mean = 16.3, SD = 1.1). Body. Robust with smooth scales. Midbody scales 21–22 rows (n = 29, mean = 21.9, SD = 0.3). Paravertebral scales (to the level of the posterior margin of the hindlimbs) 58–67 (n = 27, mean = 61.4, SD = 2.6). Outer preanal scales overlap inner preanal scales. Limbs. Well-developed, pentadactyl; L 1 17.5–22.6 % SVL (n = 25, mean = 20.4, SD = 1.5); L 2 25.1–33.2 % SVL (n = 27, mean = 29.3, SD = 2.4); L 1 65.1 –76.5 % L 2 (n = 25, mean = 69.4, SD = 3.1). Fourth toe of L 2 longest with 16–19 (n = 28, mean = 17.7, SD = 0.8) subdigital lamellae and a single row of 11–14 (n = 28, mean = 12.1, SD = 0.6) scales on dorsal surface. Head. Barely distinct from neck. HW 58.2–66.8 % HL (n = 25, mean = 62.9, SD = 2.2); HD 35.3–45.5 % HL (n = 26, mean = 40.7, SD = 2.4); S 37.1–42.4 % HL (n = 27, mean = 40.6, SD = 1.2); EE 29.6–42.2 % HL (n = 27, mean = 38.0, SD = 2.4). Snout rounded in profile. Frontonasal in broad contact with rostral and in moderate contact with frontal. Prefrontals large narrowly (34 %) to widely separated (66 %). Supraoculars four (rarely three, 6.9 % of cases; one side only on 4 / 29 specimens) with first and second in contact with frontal and second, third and fourth in contact with frontoparietal (where only three supraoculars occur, the 1 st and 2 nd are fused and contact the frontal and all three contact the frontoparietal). Frontoparietals and interparietal fused to form a single shield; parietal eye spot in posterior lobe. Parietals in contact on posterior margin of fused frontoparietal/interparietal shield. Enlarged nuchals usually two (sometimes three, 17 % of specimens). Snout rounded in profile. Loreals two, first taller than second. Preoculars two, upper smaller, but well- developed. Presubocular single (rarely two, 3 %). Supraciliaries five. Lower eyelid preablepharine (with a large clear window, fixed in the raised position but with a palpebral slit dorsally; see Greer 1989). Ear opening small, round, inconspicuous, without lobules. Supralabials seven, with fifth below eye, or eight (5 % of cases) with sixth below eye and last overlapping lower secondary temporal. Postsupralabials two. Pretemporals two. Primary temporal single. Secondary temporals two (upper overlapping lower). Tertiary temporals two. Infralabials six, two in contact with postmental. Three pairs of enlarged chin shields, first pair in contact, second pair separated by single scale row (rarely in point contact), third pair separated by three scale rows. Colouration. The dorsum is dark brown with three conspicuous grey/white longitudinal stripes on each side; beginning behind the head and extending to the proximal third of the tail). The dorsal stripes are positioned centrally on the scale rows and the dorsolateral stripe is the palest. A pale mid-lateral stripe is present and is most conspicuous on the neck and anterior flanks. Additional pale stripes are present on the flanks but these are not well-defined and vary in intensity between individuals. The number of stripes varies between 10 and 14, but those on the lower flanks may not extend much beyond the forelimb. Some specimens are quite dark, but an indication of striping remains. The top of the head and snout are paler than the body with darker stippling and dark edging to the supraoculars. The labials are pale, with or without some dark spots. The limbs are mid-brown with striping evident on the proximal half. The tail is straw-coloured, suggesting an orange wash in life (extends to cloacal area and ventral surface of the hindlimbs), with reduced pigmentation distally. Ventral surface is pale and grades evenly with lower flanks. The parietal peritoneum is heavily suffused with dark brown. The lungs are pale. The tongue is darkly pigmented on the anterior portion. The contrast between the pale longitudinal stripes and the ground colour is greatly reduced in some of the paratypes (QMJ 40336, QMJ 40998, QMJ 41000, QMJ 41002 –003, QMJ 69452, and QMJ 78116). Our material comes from a single locality and all collections were made in spring (Aug–Sept, 1979–1981), hence, it is unlikely that geographic, ecological or seasonal factors account for this variation. Greer et al. (2004) report a proportion of uniformly coloured specimens in their description of P. naranjicaudus, but unlike the P. barrylyoni sp. nov. specimens, these lack any indication of longitudinal stripes. In life, breeding males have an orange/red flush to the outer margin of the throat and jaw-line (KRM pers. obs.). Details of holotype. Male, SVL 44.10 mm, AG 25.75 mm, T 73.01 mm, L 1 9.39 mm, L 2 13.37 mm, HL 7.42 mm, HW 4.96 mm, HD 3.19 mm, S 3.07 mm, EE 3.13 mm. Seven supralabials (fifth subocular), midbody scale rows 22, paravertebral rows 61, fourth toe subdigital lamellae 17 left and 18 right, fourth toe supradigital scales 11 left and 10 right. Distribution. Proablepharus barrylyoni sp. nov. is known from a single location (18 ° 02’ S, 144 ° 24 ’ E) of no more than a few hectares in size on Springfield Stn, north-eastern Queensland (see Figure 3). It was found at no other site despite targeted searches over the broader survey area between 1979 and 1984 (Amber, Burlington and Springfield Stations). These initially sampled a diversity of habitats and included numerous drift-fence trapping events. The searches were later narrowed to sample grassy open woodland situations similar to the habitat found at the type locality. Habitat. The habitat is on a seasonally inundated, basaltic (grey cracking clay) soil plain of the McBride Plateau. In 1980, the vegetation was grassland with scattered trees (see Figure 4). In the intervening 30 years the floristic composition has changed to a mixed species open woodland dominated by Corymbia dallachyana with occasional C. pocillum, C. terminalis and Terminalia spp. and scattered Acacia (A. bidwillii, A. sutherlandi and A victoriae). The ground cover in 2009 was dominated by Oryza australiensis with areas of Pennisetum basedowii, Iseilema vaginiflorum (all native grasses), Polymeria sp. (a native vine) and the introduced weeds Themeda quadrivalvis (Grader Grass), Crytostegia grandiflora (Rubber Vine; a declared class 2 pest under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 200 2) and Xanthium occidentale (Noogoora burr) (Figure 5). Themeda quadrivalvis was not present when P. barrylyoni sp. nov. was collected and has been a vigorous invader in recent times, displacing many native ground cover species. Fire has been excluded from the system resulting in an increase in woody vegetation. Reproduction. Gravid females and reproductive males (nine of twelve with turgid testes and opaque epididymis) are present in the population in early spring (late August to early September). The smallest mature male (enlarged testes and epididymides present) was found to be 32.8 mm SVL, the largest 47.6 mm, while for females the range was 42.6–50.9 mm SVL (vitellogenic follicles present). Fully developed eggs measure 10.0– 10.7 mm in length (n = 3, mean = 10.4) x 5.0– 5.6 mm in width (n = 3, mean = 5.4 mm) and weigh 0.12–0.14 g (n = 3, mean = 0.13). Hatchlings measure 19.8–21.9 mm SVL (n = 6, mean = 20.8) with tail length of 116–130 % SVL (n = 4, mean = 120.8). Comparison with similar species. Proablepharus barrylyoni sp. nov is most similar to P. kinghorni and P. naranjicaudus in colour pattern (pale stripes on dark ground colour) and all three species have fused frontoparietals. It is separated from P. kinghorni by lacking a distinct interparietal scale (vs. interparietal distinct from fused frontoparietals). From P. naranjicaudus it is separated by the number of supraciliaries (five vs. generally six), the number of postsupralabials (two vs. usually one), the upper preocular (well-developed vs. reduced or absent) and the surface structure on the subdigital lamellae of the pes (smoothly rounded vs. trimucronate). Proablepharus barrylyoni sp. nov. generally has more presacral vertebrae than P. naranjicaudus (32–36, mean = 33.5, n = 29 vs. 30–33, mean = 31.2, n = 17, Mann –Whitney U = 25.0, P<0.0001, Greer et al. 2004). The remaining two species of Proablepharus, P. tenuis (Broom, 1896) and P. reginae (Glauert, 1960) both have paired frontoparietals (vs. fused in P. barrylyoni sp. nov.).Published as part of Couper, Patrick J., Limpus, Colin J., Mcdonald, Keith R. & Amey, Andrew P., 2010, A new species of Proablepharus (Scincidae: Lygosominae) from Mt Surprise, north-eastern Queensland, Australia, pp. 62-68 in Zootaxa 2433 on pages 63-67, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19473
Growth and estimated age at maturity of Queensland loggerheads
No full textMeasuring growth rates of sea turtles under natural conditions has received increased attention since it became clear that growth rates of wild turtles are much slower than those of captive sea turtles (Balazs, 1979; Limpus, 1979). Estimates of the age at which marine turtles attain sexual maturity based on captive growth rates have had to be revised. Knowledge of natural growth rates and age at sexual maturity are fundamental for understanding demography, assessing habitat quality, and designing appropriate management plans and conservation measures for these endangered species
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
FIGURE 2 in A new species of Proablepharus (Scincidae: Lygosominae) from Mt Surprise, north-eastern Queensland, Australia
No full textFIGURE 2. Head scalation of Proablepharus barrylyoni sp. nov., QMJ40335 (A) dorsal view (B) lateral view. C—chin scale; F—frontal; FN—frontonasal; FP—frontoparietal; I—interparietal; IL—infralabial; L—loreal; M—mental; N— nuchal; NA—nasal; PA —parietal PF—prefrontal; PO—preocular; PT—pretemporal; PSL—postsupralabial; PSO— presubocular; R—rostral; SC—supraciliary; SL—supralabial; SO—supraocular; 1°—primary temporal; 2°—secondary temporal; 3°—tertiary temporal.Published as part of Couper, Patrick J., Limpus, Colin J., Mcdonald, Keith R. & Amey, Andrew P., 2010, A new species of Proablepharus (Scincidae: Lygosominae) from Mt Surprise, north-eastern Queensland, Australia, pp. 62-68 in Zootaxa 2433 on page 65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19473
Partitioning of PFAS to serum, tissues, eggs, and hatchlings of an Australian freshwater turtle
No full textTurtles are a potential sentinel species of aquatic ecosystem health as they inhabit aquatic ecosystems, are long lived, and potentially have high exposure to anthropogenic chemicals via food and water. This study investigated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) tissue partitioning in female Emydura macquarii macquarii turtle, and the maternal offloading of (PFAS) into eggs and then hatchlings as well as the accumulation of PFAS in male and female Emydura macquarii macquarii serum. Significantly higher levels of perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) and perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were measured in the male serum compared to the female turtle serum, whereas perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) were significantly higher in the female turtle serum. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant PFAS in the turtles whereas PFHxA was the predominant PFAS found in the surrounding water. PFHxA was not reported in any turtle tissue or the serum. The short-chain PFSAs and FASAs appeared to be highly associated with blood; long-chain PFSAs and PFCAs were more likely to be associated with tissue. Half of the PFHxS and all the long-chain PFSAs and PFCAs reported in the yolks were transferred into the hatchlings (by mass), suggesting a potential intergenerational effect.Full Tex
A Multi-Language Comparison of Influences on Author Verification using Character N-Grams
No full textWe create a new multi-language corpus for author verification based on Wikipedia talkpages, and evaluate the influence that differences in topic and time have on character n-gram author profiles. Topic alignment between two texts is found to increase author verification precision, and an authors writing style is found to change over time, but not more significantly after 3 years than after 1 year.Information ArchitectureWISElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
A 0.12mm<sup>2</sup> Wien-Bridge Temperature Sensor with 0.1°C (3σ) Inaccuracy from -40°C to 180°C
No full text Resistor-based temperature sensors can achieve much higher resolution and energy efficiency than conventional BJT-based sensors [1], but they typically occupy more area (> 0.25 mm 2 ) and have lower operating temperatures (le 125 {circ} {C}) [2]-[4]. This work describes a 0.12mm 2 resistor-based sensor that uses a Wien-bridge (WB) filter to achieve 0.1 {circ} {C} (3 sigma) inaccuracy from - 40 {circ} {C} to 180 {circ} {C}. Compared to a state-of-the-art WB sensor [4], it occupies 6 × less area and achieves comparable relative accuracy over a 76% wider operating range. Session 10.3 Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Electronic InstrumentationMicroelectronic
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