The current knowledge on centipedes (Chilopoda) in Slovenia: faunistic and ecological records from a national database.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ravnjak B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4523775 | biostudies-other | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:BackgroundEpidemiological studies utilize residential histories to assess environmental exposure risk. The validity from using commercially-sourced residential histories within national longitudinal studies remains unclear. Our study assessed predictors of non-agreement between baseline addresses from the commercially-sourced LexisNexis database and participants in the national longitudinal study, REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS). Additionally, we assessed differences in stroke risk by neighborhood socioeconomic score (nSES) based on participant reported address compared to nSES from LexisNexis/REGARDS matched baseline address.MethodsFrom January 2003-October 2007, REGARDS enrolled 30,239 black and white adults aged 45 and older within the continental United States and collected their baseline address. ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1 with ESRI 2016 Business Analyst Data was used to geocode baseline addresses from LexisNexis and REGARDS. Logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood that LexisNexis address matched REGARDS baseline address for each participant. Survival analysis was used to estimate association between nSES and incident stroke.ResultsApproximately 91% of REGARDS participants had a LexisNexis address. Of these geocoded addresses, 93% of REGARDS baseline addresses matched LexisNexis addresses. Odds of agreement between LexisNexis and REGARDS was higher for older-aged participants (OR = 1.02 per year, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.02), blacks compared to whites (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.29), females compared to males (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.26), participants with an income of $34k-74k compared to an income less than $20k (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.89). Odds of agreement were lower for residents in Midwest compared to residents in the south (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.94). No significant differences in nSES-stroke associations were observed between REGARDS only and LexisNexis/REGARDS matched addresses; however, differences in interactions were observed.ConclusionAgreement between LexisNexis and REGARDS addresses varied by sociodemographic groups, potentially introducing bias in studies reliant on LexisNexis alone for residential address data.
| S-EPMC8358447 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Historical air temperatures at three karst caves in Slovenia have been compared to current data time series. In Postojnska Jama (PJ), the most visited show cave in Slovenia, the significant temperature difference between historical and modern measurements at the Pulpito site relates to the months April to November. Mean monthly temperatures measured at the Sepolcro site (PJ) in the modern period (2016-2019) are year round significantly higher than in the historical period (1935-1937). The temperature increase over the last 85 years in PJ is attributed to outside temperature rise and additional heat input from visitors, especially for Sepolcro site. A comparison of current (2017-2019) and historical (1956-1957) temperature data in touristically poorly visited Predjama Cave shows lower increase as in PJ and is completely related to outside cave conditions. In the case of Škocjanske Jame (Tiha Jama), air temperature has not significantly increased since the historical 1928 measurements because the monitoring site looks to be morphologically isolated from significant impacts of outside climate and visitors.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42452-021-04881-1.
| S-EPMC8643192 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundClostridioides difficile is an important human and animal intestinal pathogen. Because of increasing indications of an association between C. difficile and food, in 2015, the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection (UVHVVR) included C. difficile in its national food surveillance.AimWe aim to report the results and experience with a nationwide and long-term testing of food for C. difficile as a part of a regular national food surveillance programme.MethodsRetail minced meat and meat preparations (beef, pork and poultry) were sampled within a three-year period, 2015 to 2017. Selected raw retail vegetables, leaf salads and root vegetables, and ready-to-eat salads were only sampled during 2016 and 2017. Seafood was only sampled in 2017.ResultsAltogether, 434 samples were tested, with 12 of 336 (3.6%) meat samples and 6 of 98 (6.1%) raw vegetables contaminated with C. difficile. Twelve of 18 recovered food isolates were toxigenic (toxinotypes 0, III, V, XII). The isolates belonged to 13 different PCR ribotypes, 001 being most common (5 isolates). Several food types with an increased potential of being contaminated with C. difficile were detected by surveillance.ConclusionThe three-year C. difficile testing within the national food surveillance revealed a low proportion of C. difficile-contaminated food and high genotype variability. Because the risk of C. difficile infection associated with C. difficile-contaminated food is unknown, no measures were recommended in the case of positive results.
| S-EPMC7189651 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: Many tools used to analyze microarrays in different conditions have been described. However, the integration of the deregulated genes within coherent metabolic pathways is lacking. Currently no objective selection criterion, based on biological functions exists, to determine a threshold demonstrating that a gene is indeed differentially expressed. Methodology/Principal Findings: To improve transcriptomic analysis of microarrays, we propose a new statistical approach, which takes into account biological parameters. We present an iterative method to optimise the selection of differentially expressed gene in two experimental conditions. The stringency level of gene selection was associated simultaneously with the p-value of expression variation and the occurrence rate parameter, which is associated with the percentage of donors whose transcriptomic profile is similar. Our method intertwines stringency level settings, biological data and a knowledge database to highlight molecular interactions using networks and pathways. Analysis performed during iterations helped us select the optimal threshold required for the most pertinent selection of differently expressed genes. Conclusions/significance: We have applied this approach to the well documented mechanism of human macrophage response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. For example, we thus verified that our method was able to determine with the highest degree of accuracy the best threshold for selecting genes, which are truly differentially expressed. Macrophages isolated from six heathy donnor was/or not stimulated. Paired data, i.e. LPS stimulated macrophages versus unstimulated macrophages from the same donor have been compared (eg, Donor1_LPS vs Donor1_NT; see processed data file linked below). The six comparaisons have been globaly analyse using two parameters, i.e. threshod and occurency, associated with a request of a database knowledge. Both parameters has been tune to define the best setting allowing to optimize the selection of differentially expressed genes
2011-06-19 | E-GEOD-22858 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Around 1 in 10 of all cancer cases occur in adults of reproductive age. Cancer and its treatments can cause long-term effects, such as loss of fertility, which can lead to poor emotional adjustment. Unmet information needs are associated with higher levels of anxiety. US research suggests that many oncologists do not discuss fertility. Very little research exists about fertility information provision in the United Kingdom. This study aimed to explore current knowledge, practice and attitudes among oncologists in the United Kingdom regarding fertility preservation in patients of child-bearing age.A national online survey of 100 oncologists conducted online via medeconnect, a company which has exclusive access to the doctors.net.uk membership of GMC registered doctors.Oncologists saw fertility preservation (FP) as mainly a women's issue, and yet only felt knowledgeable about sperm storage, not other methods of FP; 87% expressed a need for more information. Most reported discussing the impact of treatment on fertility with patients, but only 38% reported routinely providing patients with written information, and 1/3 reported they did not usually refer patients who had questions about fertility to a specialist fertility service. Twenty-three per cent had never consulted any FP guidelines. The main barriers to initiating discussions about FP were lack of time, lack of knowledge, perceived poor success rates of FP options, poor patient prognosis and, to a lesser extent, if the patient already had children, was single, or could not afford FP treatment.The findings from this study suggest a deficiency in UK oncologist's knowledge about FP options and highlights that the provision of information to patients about FP may be sub-optimal. Oncologists may benefit from further education, and further research is required to establish if patients perceive a need for further information about FP options.
| S-EPMC3668471 | biostudies-other
Project description:Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) possessed by indigenous communities offers a vital source of information regarding the status and threats faced by species. Anaphalis javanica (DC.) Sch.Bip. commonly known as Javanese edelweiss is a culturally significant species in Indonesia's mountainous regions, yet conservation efforts for it remain limited. We utilized TEK to assess the status and threats to the Javanese edelweiss in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Indonesia. The research aims to assess the distribution, abundance, population trends, and threats faced by Javanese edelweiss using TEK. We interviewed 641 individuals from seven Tengger villages near the park to gather data on the distribution, status, and threats facing the Javanese edelweiss, contributing to conservation efforts. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and ordinal logistic regression. TEK regarding the Javanese edelweiss was extensive, as 96.3% of respondents recognized the plant. A majority (73.2%) had observed Javanese edelweiss in the wild, yet a significant portion (85%) perceived it as "very rare" or "rare." Furthermore, 50% of respondents reported a decline in its population. Variations in sighting frequency, perceived abundance, and population trends across different locations provide crucial insights for identifying priority areas and shaping community-based conservation strategies for Javanese edelweiss. This research underscores the importance of integrating TEK into conservation planning, emphasizing community involvement for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation.
| S-EPMC11233358 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A comprehensive database of paleoclimate records is needed to place recent warming into the longer-term context of natural climate variability. We present a global compilation of quality-controlled, published, temperature-sensitive proxy records extending back 12,000 years through the Holocene. Data were compiled from 679 sites where time series cover at least 4000 years, are resolved at sub-millennial scale (median spacing of 400 years or finer) and have at least one age control point every 3000 years, with cut-off values slackened in data-sparse regions. The data derive from lake sediment (51%), marine sediment (31%), peat (11%), glacier ice (3%), and other natural archives. The database contains 1319 records, including 157 from the Southern Hemisphere. The multi-proxy database comprises paleotemperature time series based on ecological assemblages, as well as biophysical and geochemical indicators that reflect mean annual or seasonal temperatures, as encoded in the database. This database can be used to reconstruct the spatiotemporal evolution of Holocene temperature at global to regional scales, and is publicly available in Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format.
| S-EPMC7156486 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: Many tools used to analyze microarrays in different conditions have been described. However, the integration of the deregulated genes within coherent metabolic pathways is lacking. Currently no objective selection criterion, based on biological functions exists, to determine a threshold demonstrating that a gene is indeed differentially expressed. Methodology/Principal Findings: To improve transcriptomic analysis of microarrays, we propose a new statistical approach, which takes into account biological parameters. We present an iterative method to optimise the selection of differentially expressed gene in two experimental conditions. The stringency level of gene selection was associated simultaneously with the p-value of expression variation and the occurrence rate parameter, which is associated with the percentage of donors whose transcriptomic profile is similar. Our method intertwines stringency level settings, biological data and a knowledge database to highlight molecular interactions using networks and pathways. Analysis performed during iterations helped us select the optimal threshold required for the most pertinent selection of differently expressed genes. Conclusions/significance: We have applied this approach to the well documented mechanism of human macrophage response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. For example, we thus verified that our method was able to determine with the highest degree of accuracy the best threshold for selecting genes, which are truly differentially expressed.
2011-06-19 | GSE22858 | GEO
Project description:This article describes the herbarium database of the University of Lomé. The database provides a good representation of the current knowledge of the flora of Togo. The herbarium of University of Lomé, known also as Herbarium togoense is the national herbarium and is registered in Index Herbariorum with the abbreviation TOGO. It contains 15,000 specimens of vascular plants coming mostly from all Togo's ecofloristic regions. Less than one percent of the specimens are from neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso. Collecting site details are specified in more that 97% of the sheet labels, but only about 50% contain geographic coordinates. Besides being a research resource, the herbarium constitutes an educational collection. The dataset described in this paper is registered with GBIF and accessible at https://www.gbif.org/dataset/b05dd467-aaf8-4c67-843c-27f049057b78. It was developed with the RIHA software (Réseau Informatique des Herbiers d'Afrique). The RIHA system (Chevillotte and Florence 2006, Radji et al. 2009) allows the capture of label data and associated information such as synonyms, vernacular names, taxonomic hierarchy and references.
| S-EPMC6160841 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Data on the distribution of plant species at spatial (grid) scales are required as input for integrative analysis along with related climate, environment, topography and soil data. Although the world's scientific community is increasingly generating data on plant species at various spatial grids and statistically interpolating and extrapolating the available information, data on plant diversity from the Asian continent are scant. Such data are unavailable for India, the mainland of which has part of three of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. Although sufficient field sampling is always impossible and impractical, it is essential to utilize fully any available database by adjudging the sampling sufficiency at a given scale. In this work, we used an exhaustive database of the plant species of the Indian mainland that was sufficient in terms of sampling vegetation types. We transformed the data, obtained the distribution at the 1° and 2° spatial grid levels and evaluated the sampling sufficiency at acceptable threshold limits (60% to 80%). The greatest species richness values recorded in the 0.04 ha quadrant, 1° grid and 2° grid were 59, 623 and 1244, respectively. Clench model was significantly (p value < 0.001) fitted using the plant species data at both the grid levels with a very high coefficient of determination (>0.95). At an acceptable threshold limit of 70%, almost all the grids at the 2° level and more than 80% of the grids at the 1° level were found to be sufficiently sampled. Sampling sufficiency was observed to be highly scale-dependent as a greater number of 2° grids attained asymptotic behaviour following the species-area curve. Grid-level sampling insufficiency was attributed to lower numbers of sampling quadrats in forests with poor approachability, which coincided with the world biodiversity hotspots', suggesting that additional sampling was required. We prescribe the use of the 1° and 2° spatial grids with sufficient sampling for any ecological analysis in conjunction with other data and thereby offer grid-level plant species richness data for the Indian mainland for the first time.
| S-EPMC5352167 | biostudies-literature