Taxonomic review of the late Cenozoic megapodes (Galliformes: Megapodiidae) of Australia

Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.Megapodes are unusual galliform birds that use passive heat sources to incubate their eggs. Evolutionary relationships of extant megapode taxa have become clearer with the advent of molecular analyses, but the systematics of large, extinct forms (Progura gallinacea, Progura naracoortensis) from the late Cenozoic of Australia has been a source of confusion. It was recently suggested that the two species of Progura were synonymous, and that this taxon dwarfed into the extant malleefowl Leipoa ocellata in the Late Pleistocene. Here, we review previously described fossils along with newly discovered material from several localities, and present a substantial taxonomic revision. We show that P. gallinacea and P. naracoortensis are generically distinct, describe two new species of megapode from the Thylacoleo Caves of south-central Australia, and a new genus from Curramulka Quarry in southern Australia. We also show that L. ocellata was contemporaneous with larger species. Our phylogenetic analysis places four extinct taxa in a derived clade with the extant Australo-Papuan brush-turkeys Talegalla fuscirostris, L. ocellata, Alectura lathami and Aepypodius bruijnii. Therefore, diversity of brush-turkeys halved during the Quaternary, matching extinction rates of scrubfowl in the Pacific. Unlike extant brush-turkeys, all the extinct taxa appear to have been burrow-nesters

Three terrestrial Pleistocene coucals (Centropus: Cuculidae) from southern Australia: biogeographical and ecological significance

Shute, Elen, Prideaux, Gavin J., Worthy, Trevor H. (2016): Three terrestrial Pleistocene coucals (Centropus: Cuculidae) from southern Australia: biogeographical and ecological significance. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 177 (4): 964-1002, DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12387, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/zoj.1238

Supplementary Figure1: Type material of Garrdimalga mcnamarai sp. nov. compared with other extinct species from Taxonomic review of the Late Cenozoic megapodes (Galliformes: Megapodiidae) of Australia

Supp. Figure 1: Garrdimalga mcnamarai carpometacarpus, SAM P42711, holotype (A, E, I) and tibiotarsus, SAM P42709, paratype (M, Q). Comparisons with Latagallina naracoortensis (B, F, J, N, R), Latagallina olsoni (C, G, K, O, S) and Progura campestris (D, H, L, P, T)

Megapode matrix from Taxonomic review of the Late Cenozoic megapodes (Galliformes: Megapodiidae) of Australia

Phylogenetic matrix for the galloansere

Mapping of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG in gingival crevicular fluid: antibody dynamics and linkage to severity of COVID-19 in hospital inpatients.

Objectives: To characterise the acute and early convalescent antibody responses in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Methods: IgM and IgG antibody against the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein (NP) and components of the Spike protein were analysed in GCF samples. The association between antibody reactivity and disease severity was also investigated. Results: IgM and IgG reactivity were detectable in GCF samples as early as week one post symptom onset. Differential patterns of antibody reactivity across the NP and Spike proteins were noted. Antibody responses to NP appeared earlier, a trend noted for both the IgM and IgG; however, the NP IgM response was not as robust as IgM responses to Spike proteins. There was some evidence that higher levels of antibody in GCF in the first 14 days post symptom onset were associated with a more severe disease and for this association to be more significant with the IgM response. Conclusions: Gingival crevicular fluid forms a useful analyte for the detection and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses. The data demonstrates a dynamic antibody response across different protein targets and indicates an association between severe disease and higher levels of antibody

Vaccinations for waste-handling workers. A review of the literature

COPYRIGHT 2005 Sage Publications, Inc.A review of the literature relating to the need for vaccination against infectious disease in the solid waste industry was conducted, focusing on hepatitis A, hepatitis B and tetanus. Databases (Medline, PreMedline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Current Contents, Cochrane Database, HTA Database, DARE, OSHROM) were searched up to and including August 2003. Articles were included in the review if they reported the prevalence of immunity to hepatitis A, hepatitis B or tetanus in solid waste workers or the incidence of clinical infection with any of these diseases. Papers about hazardous or medical waste, incineration or other infectious diseases were excluded. Fortyfour papers constituted the evidence database. Only one paper studied the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A and hepatitis B in solid waste workers compared with sewage plant workers and office workers, and no difference was found between these groups of workers. There was some evidence to support a theoretical risk of infection with hepatitis A, B and tetanus; however, no studies could be found of the risk of these diseases in solid waste workers. No single cases of these diseases being acquired occupationally in solid waste management were identified in the literature. Workers in the solid waste industry may theoretically be at increased risk of acquiring infectious diseases occupationally. However, at present no studies could be found which have documented this risk.Rebecca Tooher, Tabatha Griffin, Elen Shute and Guy Madder

Cognitive, metacognitive and motivational perspectives on preflection in self-regulated online learning

Self-regulated learning is regarded as a critical component of successful online education. Hence, the development of effective online education requires an orchestration of external control and freedom for self-regulation. Prompts are regarded as effective means for promoting such personalised and adaptive learning processes in online education. Within two experimental studies, the effectiveness of preflective and reflective prompts is tested. Additionally, personal characteristics such as motivation and learning preferences are controlled. Results indicate that directed preflective prompts work best for novice learners. Such prompts also activate positive motivation within online learning environments. Still, more research is needed for investigating personalised and adaptive realisation of preflective prompts as well as automated feedback for SRL. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved