7 research outputs found
Encryption in human communication:image production in emotionally charged interactions
In this paper, we investigate the range and nature of infonnation contained within the verbal communications of individuals participating in a T-group class session in a university setting. We begin with the assumption that with human beings, as with other creatures, immediate interpersonal context exerts a powerful and continuing influence on perception, information processing, emotion, behavior, and communication. Most of this influence occurs outside of the awareness of the individuals involved. The specific components of every context carry the potential for importance, meaning and consequence. Some contexts have such special, and even extraordinary, implications that it matters greatly how one behaves or communicates within them. Therefore, we assume that every behavior and communication is the product of a chain of continuous ongoing conscious and unconscious monitoring, processing, and adapting to those particular characteristics of the environments that have significance for the individuals involved
The role of taxonomic expertise in interpretation of metabarcoding studies
Abstract
The performance of DNA metabarcoding approaches for characterizing biodiversity can be influenced by multiple factors. Here, we used morphological assessment of taxa in zooplankton samples to develop a large barcode database and to assess the congruence of taxonomic identification with metabarcoding under different conditions. We analysed taxonomic assignment of metabarcoded samples using two genetic markers (COI, 18S V1–2), two types of clustering into molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs, ZOTUs), and three methods for taxonomic assignment (RDP Classifier, BLASTn to GenBank, BLASTn to a local barcode database). The local database includes 1042 COI and 1108 18S (SSU) barcode sequences, and we added new high-quality sequences to GenBank for both markers, including 109 contributions at the species level. The number of phyla detected and the number of taxa identified to phylum varied between a genetic marker and among the three methods used for taxonomic assignments. Blasting the metabarcodes to the local database generated multiple unique contributions to identify OTUs and ZOTUs. We argue that a multi-marker approach combined with taxonomic expertise to develop a curated, vouchered, local barcode database increases taxon detection with metabarcoding, and its potential as a tool for zooplankton biodiversity surveys
Identification guide to the heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Bocas del Toro, Panama
The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is located off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Until now, only 19 species of heterobranch sea slugs have been formally reported from this area; this number constitutes a fraction of total diversity in the Caribbean region. The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is located off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Until now, only 19 species of heterobranch sea slugs have been formally reported from this area; this number constitutes a fraction of total diversity in the Caribbean region. This increase in known diversity strongly suggests that the distribution of species within the Caribbean is still poorly known and species ranges may need to be modified as more surveys are conducted.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-016-0048-