Comparing Vertical and Horizontal Scoring of Open-Ended Questionnaires

Although horizontal scoring is generally considered more accurate than vertical scoring (due to the elimination of halo effects), no systematic comparison of the two methods had been carried out, prior to this study. Our extensive and structured study yields a comprehensive perspective on this issue. Our findings are that: (1) in general, there is not much difference between the methods; (2) horizontal scoring is somewhat better in terms of reliability and validity; (3) the raters\u27 feedback pointed out the differences between the methods, with some in favor of one method, others in favor of the second method; and (4) the choice of scoring method makes a difference probably only with respect to a few specific questions. Accessed 13,985 times on https://pareonline.net from September 15, 2008 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Comparative study on Morpho-anatomy and Histo-chemistry of leaf, fruit, root and petiole of centella asiatica (L.) Urb. and its adulterant plant hydrocotyle umbellata L

Centella asiatica (L.) Urban ist eine häufig angewendete Arzneipflanze des Südost-asiatischen Raumes. Sie findet nicht nur in Kosmetik, sondern auch in einer Vielzahl therapeutischer Gebiete Anwendung. Zudem weisen aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse auf eine Reihe von neuen möglichen Einsatzgebiete hin. Der Import einer Zierpflanze, führte in den letzten Jahren in Thailand jedoch häufig zu Verwechslungen mit der Arzneipflanze C. asiatica und damit einhergehend zu Gefahren bei der Einnahme. Die Zierpflanze Hydrocotyle umbellata L. hat einen ähnlichen Habitus als die Arzneipflanze C. asiatica und wird häufig mit dieser Arzneipflanze verwechselt. Methoden: Die beiden Pflanzen wurden nach den Methoden des thailändischen pflanzlichen Arzneibuches verglichen; ein mikroskopischer Vergleich wurde an den frisch geernteten Pflanzen durchgeführt, welcher histochemisch, durch das Verwenden unterschiedlicher Färbemittel erweitert wurde. Zudem wurden Extrakte aus beiden getrockneten Pflanzen mittels DC und HPLC verglichen und die Inhaltsstoffe mit HPLC-MS ermittelt. Die aktiven Inhaltsstoffe Asiaticosid und Asiatsäure wurden mit HPLC quantifiziert (R2Asiaticosid=0,9954; R2 Asiatsäure=0,9967).Es konnte eine Vorlage zur sicheren Unterscheidung der beiden Pflanzen erstellt werden, welche eine Verwechslung und damit Verunreinigung von Medizinprodukten ausschließt.Centella asiatica (L.) Urban is a frequently used medicinal plant in Southeast Asia. It is not only used in cosmetics, but also in a variety of therapeutic areas. In addition, current research results indicate a number of other possible areas of application. In recent years, however, the import of an ornamental plant has often led to confusion with the medicinal plant C. asiatica and thus to dangers in application in Thailand. The ornamental plant Hydrocotyle umbellata L. looks similar to the medicinal plant C. asiatica and is often considered to be this medicinal plant.Methods: The two plants were compared according to the methods of the Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia; a microscopic comparison was made on the freshly harvested plants, which were compared histochemically by using different staining reagents. In addition, extracts from both dried plants were compared using HPLC and the ingredients were determined using HPLC-MS. The active compounds asiaticoside and asiatic acid were quantified by HPLC (R2asiaticoside= 0.9954; R2 asiatic acid= 0.9967).It was possible to give a guideline for the safe differentiation of the two plants which excludes a confusion and thus contamination of medical products.Vera KlapferZusammenfassungen in Deutsch und EnglischKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Diplomarbeit, 2018(VLID)279184

Tropical Eastern Pacific Records of the Prickly Shark, Echinorhinus cookei (Chondrichthyes: Echinorhinidae)

v. ill. 23 cm.Also available through BioOne: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.2984/65.4.433QuarterlyMost records of the prickly shark, Echinorhinus cookei Pietschmann, 1928, are from temperate and subtropical areas of the Pacific rim, with few records from the tropics. This seemingly disjunct distribution led some authors to consider E. cookei to have an antitropical distribution. Unreported museum specimens and underwater observations of E. cookei from Cocos Island, Costa Rica; the Galápagos Islands; and northern Peru confirm its occurrence in the tropical eastern Pacific and, combined with other published records from the eastern Pacific, establish a continuous, panhemispheric eastern Pacific distribution