Wood-inhabiting macrofungal assemblages in 43-year-old regenerating wet Eucalyptus Obliqua L'Her.Forest

This study focuses on the diversity and ecology of wood-inhabiting macrofungal species assemblages in a regenerating tall, wet, native Eucalyptus obliqua forest in southeast Tasmania, 43 years after natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Two plots subjected to "clearfell, burn and sow" silviculture were compared with two other nearby plots that had experienced wildfire. A total of 90 species was identified from 619 macro fungal records during six fortnightly visits between May and July 2010. The plots with abundant live Pomaderris ape tala trees in the understorey (i.e., those at Edwards Rd) had markedly different macrofungal assemblages from those with no or with sparse Pomaderris apetala (i.e., at Hartz Rd). This study provided evidence that a 43-year-old regenerating forest maintains a core of common wood-inhabiting macrofungal species irrespective of type of disturbance. Furthermore, species most frequently observed in older forests in Tasmania can also occur in younger managed forests if biological legacies such as large diameter wood, well-decayed wood, large living trees and a diversity of tree species remain after silvicultural treatment

Expulsion of Symbiotic Algae during Feeding by the Green Hydra – a Mechanism for Regulating Symbiont Density?

Background: Algal-cnidarian symbiosis is one of the main factors contributing to the success of cnidarians, and is crucial for the maintenance of coral reefs. While loss of the symbionts (such as in coral bleaching) may cause the death of the cnidarian host, over-proliferation of the algae may also harm the host. Thus, there is a need for the host to regulate the population density of its symbionts. In the green hydra, Chlorohydra viridissima, the density of symbiotic algae may be controlled through host modulation of the algal cell cycle. Alternatively, Chlorohydra may actively expel their endosymbionts, although this phenomenon has only been observed under experimentally contrived stress conditions. Principal Findings: We show, using light and electron microscopy, that Chlorohydra actively expel endosymbiotic algal cells during predatory feeding on Artemia. This expulsion occurs as part of the apocrine mode of secretion from the endodermal digestive cells, but may also occur via an independent exocytotic mechanism. Significance: Our results demonstrate, for the first time, active expulsion of endosymbiotic algae from cnidarians under natural conditions. We suggest this phenomenon may represent a mechanism whereby cnidarians can expel excess symbiotic algae when an alternative form of nutrition is available in the form of prey

Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 3: Investment in social science research in neglected diseases of poverty: a case study of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.BACKGROUND: The level of funding provides a good proxy for the level of commitment or prioritisation given to a particular issue. While the need for research relevant to social, economic, cultural and behavioural aspects of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) control has been acknowledged, there is limited data on the level of funding that supports NTD social science research. METHOD: A case study was carried out in which the spending of a major independent funder, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) - was analysed. A total of 67 projects funded between October 1998 and November 2008 were identified from the BMGF database. With the help of keywords within the titles of 67 grantees, they were categorised as social science or non-social science research based on available definition of social science. A descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Of 67 projects analysed, 26 projects (39%) were social science related while 41 projects (61%) were basic science or other translational research including drug development. A total of US$697 million was spent to fund the projects, of which 35$ 241 million) went to social science research. Although the level of funding for social science research has generally been lower than that for non-social science research over 10 year period, social science research attracted more funding in 2004 and 2008. CONCLUSION: The evidence presented in this case study indicates that funding on NTD social science research compared to basic and translational research is not as low as it is perceived to be. However, as there is the acute need for improved delivery and utilisation of current NTD drugs/technologies, informed by research from social science approaches, funding priorities need to reflect the need to invest significantly more in NTD social science research

ANALISIS VERBA BERPREFIKS DENGAN VERBA DASAR KOMMEN DALAM BAHASA JERMAN

Verba merupakan suatu komponen yang mempunyai peranan penting dalam kalimat, karena verba digunakan untuk menyatakan tindakan (Handlungen), keadaan (Zustände) dan peristiwa (Vorgänge). Dalam bahasa Indonesia verba dapat dikombinasikan dengan imbuhan atau prefiks. Hal yang sama berlaku dalam bahasa Jerman. Akan tetapi berbeda dengan bahasa Indonesia, prefiks yang menyertai verba bahasa Jerman dapat mengubah makna dari verba dasarnya, seperti contoh verba kommen yang berarti ‘berasal’, ditambahkan prefiks ent- di awal verba, menjadi entkommen, maka maknanya berubah menjadi ‘melarikan diri’. Hal tersebut sangat penting untuk dipelajari dan dipahami oleh pembelajar. Berdasarkan hal tersebut peneliti tertarik untuk melakukan penelitian mengenai verba berprefiks dengan verba dasar kommen. Adapun tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui : 1) prefiks pada verba kommen, 2) jenis prefiks yang menyertai verba kommen berprefiks, dan 3) arti dari prefiks yang menyertai verba kommen berprefiks. Objek penelitian ini ialah verba kommen berprefiks yang terdapat dalam buku Tintenherz karya Cornelia Punke dan Majalah Brigitte terbitan 18 januari 2017. Adapun referensi yang digunakan untuk arti dari verba kommen berprefiks ialah Langenscheidt Groβwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Data yang ditemukan dalam penelitian ini adalah 47 kalimat dengan verba kommen berprefiks. Dari 47 kalimat tersebut ditemukan 12 macam verba kommen berprefiks, yaitu ankommen (3x), entkommen (4x), entgegenkommen (1x), heraufkommen (1x), herkommen (12x), mitkommen (7x), nachkommen (1x), vorbeikommen (3x), vorkommen (4x), wiederkommen (2x), zukommen (1x), dan zurückkommen (9x). Prefiks yang menyertai verba kommen terbagi menjadi dua jenis yaitu prefiks terikat dan tidak terikat, ada 9 macam prefiks yang masuk ke dalam jenis prefiks tidak terikat, dan 3 macam jenis prefiks terikat. Dari keseluruhan jumlah prefiks tersebut 2 macam prefiks memiliki arti lebih dari satu, yaitu prefiks her- dan vor-, sedangkan 10 prefiks lainnya yaitu prefiks an-, entgegen-, ent-, herauf-, mit-, nach-, vorbei-, wieder-, zu-, dan zurück- memiliki 1 arti. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian disarankan agar pembelajar dapat memperdalam prefiks melalui buku-buku gramatik dan membaca teks berbahasa Jerman berupa roman anak maupun artikel majalah. Adapun peneliti lain yang akan meneliti tentang prefiks disarankan untuk menggunakan referensi dan sumber data yang lebih banyak dan beragam. ABSTRAKT Verb ist ein Komponent, das eine wichtige Rolle in einem Satz spielt, da man ein Verb verwendet, um Handlungen, Zustände und Vorgänge zu bezeichnen. Im Indonesischen sind Verben mit Sufixen, Präfixen und so weiter kombinerbar. Das Phänomen gilt auch im Deutschen. Aber im Gegenteil zu Indonesisch kann das deutsche Präfix die Bedeutung von den Stammverben ändern, beispielweise, das Verb kommen heißt `berasal´ auf Indonesisch, aber wenn man zu dem Verb das Präfix ent- setzt, dann bedeutet das Verb ´melarikan diri´ auf Indonesisch. Solches linguistisches Phänomen ist sehr wichtig zu lernen und zu verstehen. In Bezug darauf interessiert sich die Verfasserin dafür, eine Untersuchung über die Analyse der Verben mit Präfixen am Beispiel vom Verb “kommen” im Deutschen durchzuführen. Diese Untersuchung hat den Zweck, folgende Punkte herauszufinden: 1) Präfixen vom Verb kommen; 2) die Arten von Präfixen vom Verb kommen; 3) die Bedeutung der Präfixe vom Verb kommen. Objekt dieser Untersuchung sind die Verben kommen mit Präfixen, die sich im Roman „Tintenherz“ von Cornelia Punke und in der Magazine „Brigitte“ befinden, die am 18. Januar 2017 erschienen. Als Quelle für die Bedeutungen der Verben kommen verwendet man das Langenscheidt Groβwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung sind 47 Sätze mit Verb kommen mit Präfixen. In diesen 47 Sätzen wurden 12 Arten vom Verb kommen mit Präfixen gefunden. Sie sind nämlich, ankommen (3x), entkommen (4x), entgegenkommen (1x), heraufkommen (1x), herkommen (12x), mitkommen (7x), nachkommen (1x), vorbeikommen (3x), vorkommen (4x), wiederkommen (2x), zukommen (1x), und zurückkommen (9x). Die Präfixen bestehen aus zwei Arten, nämlich untrennbare und trennbare Präfixen. Es gibt 9 Präfixsorten, die zu den trennbaren Präfixen gehören und 3 Präfixsorten zu den untrennbaren Präfixen. Aus den Datenquellen werden 2 Präfixsorten gefunden, die zwei Bedeutungen haben. Sie sind Präfix her- und vor. Allerdings haben die 10 anderen Präfixe, namlich an-, entgegen-, ent-, herauf-, mit-, nach-, vorbei-, wieder-, zu-, und zurück-, nur eine Bedeutung. Basierend auf den Untersuchungsergebnissen sollten die Deutschlernenden mithilfe der grammatischen Bücher die Beherrschung von Präfixen vertiefen und Texte im Deutschen lesen, beispielsweise Kinderromane und Artikel in Magazinen. Darüber hinaus sollten andere weitere Untersucher in demselben Untersuchungsraum zahlreichere und vielfältige Referenzen und Datenquellen benutzen

In-situ Analysis of Laminated Composite Materials by X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography and Digital Volume Correlation

The complex mechanical behaviour of composite materials, due to internal heterogeneity and multi-layered composition impose deeper studies. This paper presents an experimental investigation technique to perform volume kinematic measurements in composite materials. The association of X-ray micro-computed tomography acquisitions and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) technique allows the measurement of displacements and deformations in the whole volume of composite specimen. To elaborate the latter, composite fibres and epoxy resin are associated with metallic particles to create contrast during X-ray acquisition. A specific in situ loading device is presented for three-point bending tests, which enables the visualization of transverse shear effects in composite structures

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the willingness of older adults to participate in physiology research: views from past and potential volunteers

This is the final version. Available on open access from Canadian Science Publishing via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.We explored the views of older (≥65 years) past and potential volunteers in regard to participating in physiology research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an online questionnaire and focus groups, we found that past volunteers (n=55) were more likely to take part in both acute (p<0.05) and chronic (p<0.05) physiology studies, compared to potential future volunteers (n=57). Both cohorts demonstrated a positive attitude towards volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, although concern was evident.Novelty • Volunteers demonstrated a positive attitude and also concern towards participating in physiology research during COVID-19Medical Research Council (MRC)National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the willingness of older adults to participate in physiology research: views from past and potential volunteers

We explored the views of older (≥65 years) past and potential volunteers in regard to participating in physiology research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an online questionnaire and focus groups, we found that past volunteers (n = 55) were more likely to take part in both acute (p < 0.05) and chronic (p < 0.05) physiology studies, compared with potential future volunteers (n = 57). Both cohorts demonstrated a positive attitude towards volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, although concern was evident. Novelty: •Volunteers demonstrated a positive attitude and also concern towards participating in physiology research during COVID-19

Maximising response to postal questionnaires – A systematic review of randomised trials in health research

Background Postal self-completion questionnaires offer one of the least expensive modes of collecting patient based outcomes in health care research. The purpose of this review is to assess the efficacy of methods of increasing response to postal questionnaires in health care studies on patient populations. Methods The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, CDSR, PsycINFO, NRR and ZETOC. Reference lists of relevant reviews and relevant journals were hand searched. Inclusion criteria were randomised trials of strategies to improve questionnaire response in health care research on patient populations. Response rate was defined as the percentage of questionnaires returned after all follow-up efforts. Study quality was assessed by two independent reviewers. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to calculate the pooled odds ratios. Results Thirteen studies reporting fifteen trials were included. Implementation of reminder letters and telephone contact had the most significant effect on response rates (odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 2.30 to 5.97 p = <0.00001). Shorter questionnaires also improved response rates to a lesser degree (odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.54). No evidence was found that incentives, re-ordering of questions or including an information brochure with the questionnaire confer any additional advantage. Conclusion Implementing repeat mailing strategies and/or telephone reminders may improve response to postal questionnaires in health care research. Making the questionnaire shorter may also improve response rates. There is a lack of evidence to suggest that incentives are useful. In the context of health care research all strategies to improve response to postal questionnaires require further evaluation

A New Troodontid Theropod, Talos sampsoni gen. et sp. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous Western Interior Basin of North America

Troodontids are a predominantly small-bodied group of feathered theropod dinosaurs notable for their close evolutionary relationship with Avialae. Despite a diverse Asian representation with remarkable growth in recent years, the North American record of the clade remains poor, with only one controversial species--Troodon formosus--presently known from substantial skeletal remains.Here we report a gracile new troodontid theropod--Talos sampsoni gen. et sp. nov.--from the Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation, Utah, USA, representing one of the most complete troodontid skeletons described from North America to date. Histological assessment of the holotype specimen indicates that the adult body size of Talos was notably smaller than that of the contemporary genus Troodon. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Talos as a member of a derived, latest Cretaceous subclade, minimally containing Troodon, Saurornithoides, and Zanabazar. MicroCT scans reveal extreme pathological remodeling on pedal phalanx II-1 of the holotype specimen likely resulting from physical trauma and subsequent infectious processes.Talos sampsoni adds to the singularity of the Kaiparowits Formation dinosaur fauna, which is represented by at least 10 previously unrecognized species including the recently named ceratopsids Utahceratops and Kosmoceratops, the hadrosaurine Gryposaurus monumentensis, the tyrannosaurid Teratophoneus, and the oviraptorosaurian Hagryphus. The presence of a distinct troodontid taxon in the Kaiparowits Formation supports the hypothesis that late Campanian dinosaurs of the Western Interior Basin exhibited restricted geographic ranges and suggests that the taxonomic diversity of Late Cretaceous troodontids from North America is currently underestimated. An apparent traumatic injury to the foot of Talos with evidence of subsequent healing sheds new light on the paleobiology of deinonychosaurians by bolstering functional interpretations of prey grappling and/or intraspecific combat for the second pedal digit, and supporting trackway evidence indicating a minimal role in weight bearing

Associations between double-checking and medication administration errors: A direct observational study of paediatric inpatients

Background Double-checking the administration of medications has been standard practice in paediatric hospitals around the world for decades. While the practice is widespread, evidence of its effectiveness in reducing errors or harm is scarce. Objectives To measure the association between double-checking, and the occurrence and potential severity of medication administration errors (MAEs); check duration; and factors associated with double-checking adherence. Methods Direct observational study of 298 nurses, administering 5140 medication doses to 1523 patients, across nine wards, in a paediatric hospital. Independent observers recorded details of administrations and double-checking (independent; primed-one nurse shares information which may influence the checking nurse; incomplete; or none) in real time during weekdays and weekends between 07:00 and 22:00. Observational medication data were compared with patients' medical records by a reviewer (blinded to checking-status), to identify MAEs. MAEs were rated for potential severity. Observations included administrations where double-checking was mandated, or optional. Multivariable regression examined the association between double-checking, MAEs and potential severity; and factors associated with policy adherence. Results For 3563 administrations double-checking was mandated. Of these, 36 (1·0%) received independent double-checks, 3296 (92·5%) primed and 231 (6·5%) no/incomplete double-checks. For 1577 administrations double-checking was not mandatory, but in 26·3% (n=416) nurses chose to double-check. Where double-checking was mandated there was no significant association between double-checking and MAEs (OR 0·89 (0·65-1·21); p=0·44), or potential MAE severity (OR 0·86 (0·65-1·15); p=0·31). Where double-checking was not mandated, but performed, MAEs were less likely to occur (OR 0·71 (0·54-0·95); p=0·02) and had lower potential severity (OR 0·75 (0·57-0·99); p=0·04). Each double-check took an average of 6·4 min (107 hours/1000 administrations). Conclusions Compliance with mandated double-checking was very high, but rarely independent. Primed double-checking was highly prevalent but compared with single-checking conferred no benefit in terms of reduced errors or severity. Our findings raise questions about if, when and how double-checking policies deliver safety benefits and warrant the considerable resource investments required in modern clinical settings