Discussion of: Statistical analysis of an archeological find

Discussion of ``Statistical analysis of an archeological find'' by Andrey Feuerverger [arXiv:0804.0079]Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/08-AOAS99F the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

SEED ABORTION IN NATURALLY POLLINATED FLOWERS OF MEXICAN NATIVE PLANTS OF \u3ci\u3ePhaseolus coccineus\u3c/i\u3e L.

INTRODUCTION: Phaseolus coccineus L. plants require insects or hummingbirds to pollinate their flowers and set pods. The number of pods that can be produced by a plant is set by the number of flowers while the number of seeds is set by the number of ovules within the flowers (Stephenson, 1981). The arrest of the development of the seed after its partial differentiation, - seed abortion-, also determines the number of seeds per plant. The objective of this work is to determine the percentage of seed abortion per plant of two Mexican native varieties of Phaseolus coccineus L. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two varieties (accessions no. 8446 and 8448) were selected from the Mexican bean collection of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP). Seeds harvested in November 2014, were sown in pots on April 5, 2015 and seedlings were transplanted outdoors on April 20, distant 2 meter apart. The plants were of indeterminate growth, climbing type. There were a natural occurrence of bees, bumblebees, and hummingbirds pollinators during the flowering period. The experiment was a complete randomized design, with two treatments (varieties), five replications (one plant per replication) and five sampling dates (Oct. 14, Nov. 4, Nov. 25, Dec. 9, and Dec. 16). At each sampling date, the mature pods per plant were harvested and opened. The following data were registered: a) the number of normal seeds per pod; b) the number of aborted seeds per pod including early abortions detected with the stereoscopic microscope. The sum of (a) and (b) = c, which represented the potential number of seeds per POD in each sampling date. It was evident at this point that practically all the pods in a variety had the same potential number of seeds. Therefore, the potential number of seeds per PLANT in each sampling date represented by Y = c*n, where n represents the number of pods per plant in each sampling date. Following when applicable, the similar procedure for seed abortion: Z = total number of aborted seeds per plant in each sampling date. The percentage of seed abortion (Z/Y)*100 (total number of aborted seeds per plant in each sampling date/potential number of seeds per plant in each sampling date)

SEED ABORTION IN NATURALLY POLLINATED FLOWERS OF MEXICAN NATIVE PLANTS OF \u3ci\u3ePhaseolus coccineus\u3c/i\u3e L.

INTRODUCTION: Phaseolus coccineus L. plants require insects or hummingbirds to pollinate their flowers and set pods. The number of pods that can be produced by a plant is set by the number of flowers while the number of seeds is set by the number of ovules within the flowers (Stephenson, 1981). The arrest of the development of the seed after its partial differentiation, - seed abortion-, also determines the number of seeds per plant. The objective of this work is to determine the percentage of seed abortion per plant of two Mexican native varieties of Phaseolus coccineus L. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two varieties (accessions no. 8446 and 8448) were selected from the Mexican bean collection of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP). Seeds harvested in November 2014, were sown in pots on April 5, 2015 and seedlings were transplanted outdoors on April 20, distant 2 meter apart. The plants were of indeterminate growth, climbing type. There were a natural occurrence of bees, bumblebees, and hummingbirds pollinators during the flowering period. The experiment was a complete randomized design, with two treatments (varieties), five replications (one plant per replication) and five sampling dates (Oct. 14, Nov. 4, Nov. 25, Dec. 9, and Dec. 16). At each sampling date, the mature pods per plant were harvested and opened. The following data were registered: a) the number of normal seeds per pod; b) the number of aborted seeds per pod including early abortions detected with the stereoscopic microscope. The sum of (a) and (b) = c, which represented the potential number of seeds per POD in each sampling date. It was evident at this point that practically all the pods in a variety had the same potential number of seeds. Therefore, the potential number of seeds per PLANT in each sampling date represented by Y = c*n, where n represents the number of pods per plant in each sampling date. Following when applicable, the similar procedure for seed abortion: Z = total number of aborted seeds per plant in each sampling date. The percentage of seed abortion (Z/Y)*100 (total number of aborted seeds per plant in each sampling date/potential number of seeds per plant in each sampling date)

The Guaymas Basin Subseafloor Sedimentary Archaeome Reflects Complex Environmental Histories

Highlights • Archaeal community composition reflects locally specific environmental challenges • Biogeochemical properties do not predict archaeal community structure • Environmental history controls subseafloor archaeal populations Summary We explore archaeal distributions in sedimentary subseafloor habitats of Guaymas Basin and the adjacent Sonora Margin, located in the Gulf of California, México. Sampling locations include (1) control sediments without hydrothermal or seep influence, (2) Sonora Margin sediments underlying oxygen minimum zone water, (3) compacted, highly reduced sediments from a pressure ridge with numerous seeps at the base of the Sonora Margin, and (4) sediments impacted by hydrothermal circulation at the off-axis Ringvent site. Generally, archaeal communities largely comprise Bathyarchaeal lineages, members of the Hadesarchaea, MBG-D, TMEG, and ANME-1 groups. Variations in archaeal community composition reflect locally specific environmental challenges. Background sediments are divided into surface and subsurface niches. Overall, the environmental setting and history of a particular site, not isolated biogeochemical properties out of context, control the subseafloor archaeal communities in Guaymas Basin and Sonora Margin sediments

Serum anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a IgG antibodies are biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis

Objectives: A previous single-country pilot study indicated serum anti-GM2 and anti-GA1 anti-glycolipid antibodies as potential biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. This study aims to validate these findings in a large geographically heterogenous cohort. Materials and Methods: Sera from 175 dogs clinically diagnosed with acute canine polyradiculoneuritis, 112 dogs with other peripheral nerve, cranial nerve or neuromuscular disorders and 226 neurologically normal dogs were screened for anti-glycolipid antibodies against 11 common glycolipid targets to determine the immunoglobulin G anti-glycolipid antibodies with the highest combined sensitivity and specificity for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. Results: Anti-GM2 anti-glycolipid antibodies reached the highest combined sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity: 65.1%, 95% confidence interval 57.6 to 72.2%; specificity: 90.2%, 95% confidence interval 83.1 to 95.0%), followed by anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies (sensitivity: 61.7%, 95% confidence interval 54.1 to 68.9%; specificity: 89.3%, 95% confidence interval 82.0 to 94.3%) and these anti-glycolipid antibodies were frequently present concomitantly. Anti-GA1 anti-glycolipid antibodies were detected in both acute canine polyradiculoneuritis and control animals. Both for anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies, sex was found a significantly associated factor with a female to male odds ratio of 2.55 (P=0.0096) and 3.00 (P=0.0198), respectively. Anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies were more commonly observed in dogs unable to walk (odds ratio 4.56; P=0.0076). Clinical Significance: Anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a immunoglobulin G anti-glycolipid antibodies represent serum biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis

Latin American chronic urticaria registry (CUR) contribution to the understanding and knowledge of the disease in the region

Chronic urticaria (CU) has a widespread spectrum on causal or exacerbating factors, clinical manifestations, therapeutic response and quality of life affectation. Registries are useful tools in several real-life diagnosis and management approach. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of CU patients living in Latin America through an original cross-sectional registry with data entered by regional allergologists. Results: Three hundred patients were included, being 72% female, with median age of 36 years (1\u201385) and 20 months of CU median evolution time. The cause of CU was reported as unknown in 72% of them. Thirty-nine percent of suspected cases presented positive serology for Mycoplasma, positive autologous serum skin test (ASST) was reported in 47%, and occasional presence of thyroid or antinuclear autoantibodies and parasites. The impact of pruritus in their quality of life was moderate to severe in 60% of patients, with almost 3 out of four patients having partial or lack of urticaria control with anti-histamines. Conclusions: Our registry provides retrospective data on the real-life assistance of a large number of patients from the region. Continuous search for associated conditions and better treatment possibilities are needed, in order to control the significant impact on quality of life and the length of disease

Characteristics and Evolution of sill-driven off-axis hydrothermalism in Guaymas Basin – the Ringvent site

The Guaymas Basin spreading center, at 2000 m depth in the Gulf of California, is overlain by a thick sedimentary cover. Across the basin, localized temperature anomalies, with active methane venting and seep fauna exist in response to magma emplacement into sediments. These sites evolve over thousands of years as magma freezes into doleritic sills and the system cools. Although several cool sites resembling cold seeps have been characterized, the hydrothermally active stage of an off-axis site was lacking good examples. Here, we present a multidisciplinary characterization of Ringvent, an ~1 km wide circular mound where hydrothermal activity persists ~28 km northwest of the spreading center. Ringvent provides a new type of intermediate-stage hydrothermal system where off-axis hydrothermal activity has attenuated since its formation, but remains evident in thermal anomalies, hydrothermal biota coexisting with seep fauna, and porewater biogeochemical signatures indicative of hydrothermal circulation. Due to their broad potential distribution, small size and limited life span, such sites are hard to find and characterize, but they provide critical missing links to understand the complex evolution of hydrothermal systems

Serum anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a IgG antibodies are biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis

Objectives: A previous single-country pilot study indicated serum anti-GM2 and anti-GA1 anti-glycolipid antibodies as potential biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. This study aims to validate these findings in a large geographically heterogenous cohort. Materials and Methods: Sera from 175 dogs clinically diagnosed with acute canine polyradiculoneuritis, 112 dogs with other peripheral nerve, cranial nerve or neuromuscular disorders and 226 neurologically normal dogs were screened for anti-glycolipid antibodies against 11 common glycolipid targets to determine the immunoglobulin G anti-glycolipid antibodies with the highest combined sensitivity and specificity for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis. Results: Anti-GM2 anti-glycolipid antibodies reached the highest combined sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity: 65.1%, 95% confidence interval 57.6 to 72.2%; specificity: 90.2%, 95% confidence interval 83.1 to 95.0%), followed by anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies (sensitivity: 61.7%, 95% confidence interval 54.1 to 68.9%; specificity: 89.3%, 95% confidence interval 82.0 to 94.3%) and these anti-glycolipid antibodies were frequently present concomitantly. Anti-GA1 anti-glycolipid antibodies were detected in both acute canine polyradiculoneuritis and control animals. Both for anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies, sex was found a significantly associated factor with a female to male odds ratio of 2.55 (P=0.0096) and 3.00 (P=0.0198), respectively. Anti-GalNAc-GD1a anti-glycolipid antibodies were more commonly observed in dogs unable to walk (odds ratio 4.56; P=0.0076). Clinical Significance: Anti-GM2 and anti-GalNAc-GD1a immunoglobulin G anti-glycolipid antibodies represent serum biomarkers for acute canine polyradiculoneuritis