13 research outputs found

    A new species, *Adamsia obvolva* (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria), from the Gulf of Mexico, and a discussion of the taxonomy of carcinoecium-forming sea anemones

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    Asterisks (*...*) surround words or phrases that are to be italicized.*Adamsia obvolva* is a new species of sea anemone (order Actiniaria, family Hormathiidae) from the Gulf of Mexico, symbiotic with the hermit crab *Parapagurus pictus* (Smith, 1883). The pedal disc of the anemone enwraps the gastropod shell in which the hermit crab lives, and secretes a thin, chitinous carcinoecium that lies between the pedal disc ectoderm of the anemone and the gastropod shell. The description of *A. obvolva* n. sp. highlights many of the problems confounding the systematics of actiniarians symbiotic with hermit crabs. *Adamsia obvolva*, which has been misidentified as *Paracalliactis involvens* (McMurrich, 1893), presents a suite of attributes that blur the distinction between the genera *Adamsia* Forbes, 1840, and *Calliactis Verrill*, 1869. We review definitions of these genera and emend *Adamsia* to include only those species that form a carcinoecium and have a lobed pedal disc. To better differentiate between *A. obvolva* and *P. involvens*, we investigate the syntypes of *Adamsia involvens* McMurrich, 1893, which had been transferred to *Paracalliactis*, and of its putative synonym *Urticina consors* Verrill, 1882; we redescribe the species as *Paracalliactis consors* (Verrill, 1882). *Adamsia obvolva* and *P. consors* can be distinguished by tentacle number, the cinclides on the lower column of specimens of *A. obvolva*, and cnidae distribution and size. The taxonomic changes we propose are summarized in a diagnostic key to actiniarian families and genera that live attached to gastropod shells

    Optimizing Semi-Analytical Algorithms for Estimating Chlorophyll-a and Phycocyanin Concentrations in Inland Waters in Korea

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    Several semi-analytical algorithms have been developed to estimate the chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocyanin (PC) concentrations in inland waters. This study aimed at identifying the influence of algorithm parameters on the output variables and searching optimal parameter values. The optimal parameters of seven semi-analytical algorithms were applied to estimate the Chl-a and PC concentrations. The absorption coefficient measurements were coupled with pigment measurements to calibrate the algorithm parameters. For sensitivity analysis, the elementary effect test was conducted to analyze the influence of the algorithm parameters. The sensitivity analysis results showed that the parameters in the Y function and specific absorption coefficient were the most sensitive parameters. Then, the parameters were optimized via a single-objective optimization that involved one objective function being minimized and a multi-objective optimization that contained more than one objective function. The single-objective optimization led to substantial errors in absorption coefficients. In contrast, the multi-objective optimization improved the algorithm performance with respect to both the absorption coefficient estimates and pigment concentration estimates. The optimized parameters of the absorption coefficient reflected the high-particulate content in waters of the Baekje reservoir using an infrared backscattering wavelength and relatively high value of Y. Moreover, the results indicate the value of measuring the site-specific absorption if site-specific optimization of semi-analyical algorithm parameters was envisioned

    Attributable fraction of tobacco smoking on cancer using population-based nationwide cancer incidence and mortality data in Korea

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    Smoking is by far the most important cause of cancer that can be modified at the individual level. Cancer incidence and mortality rates in Korea are the highest among all Asian countries, and smoking prevalence in Korean men is one of the highest in developed countries. The purpose of the current study was to perform a systematic review and provide an evidence-based assessment of the burden of tobacco smoking-related cancers in the Korean population. Sex- and cancer-specific population-attributable fractions (PAF) were estimated using the prevalence of ever-smoking and second-hand smoking in 1989 among Korean adults, respectively, and the relative risks were estimated from the meta-analysis of studies performed in the Korean population for ever-smoking and in the Asian population for passive smoking. National cancer incidence data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry and national cancer mortality data from Statistics Korea for the year 2009 were used to estimate the cancer cases and deaths attributable to tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking was responsible for 20,239 (20.9%) cancer incident cases and 14,377 (32.9%) cancer deaths among adult men and 1,930 (2.1%) cancer incident cases and 1,351 (5.2%) cancer deaths among adult women in 2009 in Korea. In men, 71% of lung cancer deaths, 55%-72% of upper aerodigestive tract (oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and larynx) cancer deaths, 23% of liver, 32% of stomach, 27% of pancreas, 7% of kidney and 45% of bladder cancer deaths were attributable to tobacco smoking. In women the proportion of ever-smoking-attributable lung cancer was 8.1%, while that attributable to second-hand smoking among non-smoking women was 20.5%. Approximately one in three cancer deaths would be potentially preventable through appropriate control of tobacco smoking in Korean men at the population level and individual level. For Korean women, more lung cancer cases and deaths were attributable to second-hand than ever-smoking. Effective control programs against tobacco smoking should be further developed and implemented in Korea to reduce the smoking-related cancer burden
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