Ease Of Identification Research Articles

Logistical and preference bias in participatory science butterfly data

The volume of and interest in unstructured participatory science data has increased dramatically in recent years. However, unstructured participatory science data contain taxonomic biases—encounters with some species are more likely to be reported than encounters with others. Taxonomic biases are driven by human preferences for different species and by logistical factors that make observing certain species challenging. We investigated taxonomic bias in reports of butterflies by characterizing differences between a dedicated participatory semi‐structured dataset, eButterfly, and a popular unstructured dataset, iNaturalist, in spatiotemporally explicit models. Across 194 butterfly species, we found that 53 species were overreported and 34 species were underreported in opportunistic data. Ease of identification and feature diversity were significantly associated with overreporting in opportunistic sampling, and strong patterns in overreporting by family were also detected. Quantifying taxonomic biases not only helps us understand how humans engage with nature but also is necessary to generate robust inference from unstructured participatory data.

Fluorometric Measurement of Calmodulin-Dependent Peptide-Protein Interactions Using Dansylated Calmodulin.

The assessment of peptide-protein interactions is a pivotal aspect of studying the functionality and mechanisms of various bioactive peptides. In this context, it is essential to employ methods that meet specific criteria, including sensitivity, biocompatibility, versatility, simplicity, and the ability to offer real-time monitoring. In cellular contexts, only a few proteins naturally possess inherent fluorescence, specifically those containing aromatic amino acids, particularly tryptophan. Nonetheless, by covalently attaching fluorescent markers, almost all proteins can be modified for monitoring purposes. Among the early extrinsic fluorescent probes designed for this task, dansyl chloride (DNSC) is a notable option due to its versatile nature and reliable performance. DNSC has been the primary choice as a fluorogenic derivatizing reagent for analyzing amino acids in proteins and peptides for an extended period of time. In our work, we have effectively utilized the distinctive properties of dansylated-calmodulin (D-CaM) for monitoring the interaction dynamics between proteins and peptides, particularly in the context of their association with calmodulin (CaM), a calcium-dependent regulatory protein. This technique not only enables us to scrutinize the affinity of diverse ligands but also sheds light on the intricate role played by calcium in these interactions. Key features • Dynamic fluorescence and real-time monitoring: dansyl-modified CaM enables sensitive, real-time fluorescence, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of molecular interactions and ligand binding. • Selective interaction and stable fluorescent adducts: DNSC selectively interacts with primary amino groups, ensuring specific detection and forming stable fluorescent sulfonamide adducts. • Versatility in research and ease of identification: D-CaM is a versatile tool in biological research, facilitating identification, precise quantification, and drug assessment for therapeutic development. • Sensitivity to surrounding alterations: D-CaM exhibits sensitivity to its surroundings, particularly ligand-induced changes, offering subtle insights into molecular interactions and environmental influences.

Consideration of tensile stress in the ODF-based approach for modelling the first magnetization curves of Grain-Oriented Electrical Steels

Grain-oriented electrical steels (GOES) are extensively utilized in power transformers to enhance energy efficiency and reduce their size and weight. GOES are characterized by their strong magnetic anisotropy, leading to distinct magnetic characteristics (behavior law and iron losses) according to the direction and the intensity of the applied field with respect to the rolling direction (RD). The Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) based approach is a convenient method for describing the anisotropy of the GOES behavior law owing to its ease of identification and implementation. However, it exhibits a significant oscillation issue at low magnetic fields. To address this issue, a high-order ODF-based method has been proposed in the literature. In this article, the ODF-based model, initially stress-free, is extended to include the effects of mechanical tensile stress on the first magnetization curves of a conventional GOES. An ODF-based model considering both magnetic anisotropy and mechanical tensile stress is then proposed. The results are discussed and compared with experimental data.

The Impact and Response of Android Mobile Application Utilization of Health Consultations by Pregnant Women in Indonesia

The targets pertaining to Sustainable Development Goals for the period spanning from 2020 to 2021 have been revised downwards, notwithstanding a notable surge of 25 percent in the use of mobile-based health applications. Hence, the objective of this study is to create a mobile application called "Nutribid" that provides online counselling services for reproductive health and nutrition, specifically designed for Android devices. The participants of this research were 56 pregnant women residing in Purwadana Village, Indonesia, who utilised mobile devices equipped with the Android operating system. The findings indicate that a significant majority of the participants, above 90%, expressed agreement with the ease of identification, download, and use of the Nutribid application. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that a significant proportion, specifically 60.7% of the participants, expressed their dissatisfaction with the colour scheme employed in the application. Conversely, an overwhelming majority of the respondents concurred that the Nutribid application menu possesses commendable attributes such as ease of recognition, discoverability, legibility, and usability. The utilisation of mobile health applications has witnessed significant growth, yet, its integration into Indonesian society encounters many challenges attributed to the limited internet network infrastructure.

Consumer preference for nutrition front-of-pack-label formats in India: Evidence from a large-scale experimental survey

Global policy discourse emphasizes placing front-of-pack nutrition labels (FOPLs) on packaged foods, but debates continue to rage on the appropriate format. There are two key types of label formats, summary and informative. In developing countries, with mixed to low levels of education, it is advised that FOPLs need to be easily identifiable, understandable, and can influence purchase decisions. In this context, we tested the suitability of five FOPL formats in India through a randomized experimental design survey. Respondents were allocated to different groups representing the FOPLs and controls. A 15-treatment and 1 control cell between-subjects design was used for the study. Surveys were conducted on the field through face-to-face interactions with a total of 20,564 participants from all over India across regions, genders, age groups, and education levels. The results, which were validated using sub-sample tests, suggest that summary formats of Health Star Ratings and Warning Labels ranked higher on ease of identification and understanding and were also able to influence purchase intentions as compared to informative labels such as Multiple Traffic Lights, monochrome Guideline Daily Amounts, and Nutriscore. Our analysis reveals that summary FOPLs are more useful in influencing healthier food choices as compared to informative FOPL formats. The study's insights can help regulators design a policy that empowers consumers and nudges food brands toward healthier product reformulations.

A Review of Research on the Mustard Hill Coral, Porites astreoides

Coral reefs are the most diverse habitat per unit area in the world’s oceans, supporting an estimated 1–3 million species in only 0.2% of its area. These ecosystems have suffered severe declines since the 1970s, largely as a result of climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, disease, and overfishing. Porites astreoides is a shallow species that is able to thrive in a variety of environmental conditions and has been a clear ‘winner’ on Atlantic reefs in the last decades. This, coupled with its ease of identification and wide distribution, has caused P. astreoides to become a focal species in many scientific studies. Given the current and increasing significance of P. astreoides, this review sought to (i) identify the key life history traits that allowed this species to thrive under stressful conditions; (ii) compile aspects of its biology and ecology to understand its future contribution to Atlantic reefs, and (iii) identify knowledge gaps. To date, no comprehensive overview of the literature exists for P. astreoides. All articles available on Google Scholar up to the time of submission containing the terms ‘Mustard Hill Coral’, ‘Porites astreoides’, or ‘P. astreoides’ were examined for potential inclusion in this review. Papers were assessed based on whether they captured the most influential or widespread theories, represented an important trend in the research, or contained novel findings relevant to the understanding of this species. This review provides a scholarly resource and wide-ranging synthesis of P. astreoides on Atlantic reefs of today and the future.

Foodborne disease hazards and burden in Ethiopia: A systematic literature review, 1990–2019

BackgroundFoodborne disease (FBD) affects millions of people each year, posing a health burden similar to malaria, tuberculosis or HIV. A recent World Bank study estimated the productivity losses alone attributed to unsafe food within Africa at $20 billion in 2016, and the cost of treating these illnesses at an additional $3.5 billion. Ethiopia faces multiple food safety challenges due to lack of infrastructure and basic pre-requisites for food safety such as clean water and environment, washing facilities, compounded by limited implementation of food safety regulations, and a lack of incentives for producers to improve food safety. A consolidation of our understanding and evidence of the source, nature and scale of FBD in Ethiopia is needed to inform policy and future research. We performed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of publications on FBD occurrence in Ethiopia including hazard presence and impact.MethodThe SLR followed Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed and CAB-Direct for relevant publications between 1990 and 2019 (inclusive). Observational studies and reviews were included. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts, and retained publications were reviewed in full for quality and data extraction.ResultIn total 128 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most articles focused on the identification of biological hazards in food. High levels of microbial contamination in different food value chains were often found in the small,ad hoc, observational studies that dominated the literature. Raw milk (22/128, 17.0%) and raw beef (21/128, 16.4%) were the most studied food products. Foodborne (FB) parasites were often found at higher rates in food than bacterial and viral pathogens, possibly due to differences in ease of identification. High levels of bacterial contamination on the hands of food handlers were widely reported. There were no reports on the incidence of human FBDs or resulting health and economic impacts.ConclusionOur findings reflect existing concerns around food safety in Ethiopia. A lack of substantial, coordinated studies with robust methodologies means fundamental gaps remain in our knowledge of FBD in Ethiopia, particularly regarding FBD burden and impact. Greater investment in food safety is needed, with enhanced and coordinated research and interventions.

Comparison of scanner method and stamp pad method for dermatoglyphic patterns

Dermatoglyphics are useful in anthropological, medico legal and genetic studies. Hereditary and prenatal environmental factors leading to malocclusion may also influence fingerprint patterns which are classified into arches, loops and whorls. Dermatoglyphic pattern can be recorded by stamp ink pad method or scanner method. This study was conducted with an aim to compare stamp pad method and scanner method in terms of visibility and ease of identification by panel of postgraduate students of orthodontic speciality.Finger print pattern of 140 digit of 14 participants with aged range of 20-40 years, were recorded by both stamp pad method and scanning method using Futronic scanner. Print out of scanned images was taken. Post graduate students were briefed about identification of different types of dermatoglyphic pattern and asked to identify finger prints of each subject which were arranged randomly in a file. The fingerprint pattern was cross-checked and identified by the operator. A questionnaire in the Google form was also given to each participant to know the ease of identification and visibility of finger pattern in both patterns. 92.8% of fingerprint pattern were correctly judged by participants for scanner method whereas 90% of fingerprint pattern were correctly judged by same participants for stamp pad method in comparison to judgement made by operator. According to participants scanner method was easier to identify due to better visibility.77.8% participants found smudges in ink pad, 83.3% participants found better color contrast in scanning method. 72.2% participants found stamp pad method to be more time consuming.It can be concluded that the scanner method may be better in terms of identification, visibility as seen by the response of participants. Therefore, there was less error in identification of fingerprint pattern with scanner method but with experience, accurate results could be derived from both the techniques.

Who to Enroll in Parkinson Disease Prevention Trials? The Case for Genetically At-Risk Cohorts.

Therapies that prevent the occurrence of Parkinson disease (PD) (primary prevention) or mitigate the progression of symptoms in those with early disease (secondary prevention) are a critical unmet need in disease management. Despite great promise, PD prevention trials have not yet demonstrated success. Initiation of treatment too late in the disease course and the heterogeneity of disease are obstacles that may have contributed to the failure. Genetically stratified groups offer many advantages to primary and secondary prevention trials. In addition to their ease of identification, they decrease disease heterogeneity on several levels. Particularly, they comprise a phenotypically and pathologically enriched group with defined clinical features, pathogenic mechanisms and associated proteins that may serve as specific trial endpoints, therapeutic targets and biomarkers for disease state, and pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic status. However, challenges arise from genetic variant heterogeneity, from reduced penetrance whereby many carriers will not develop PD, and in recruiting a population that will meet the desired outcome in the proposed study duration. In this review, we discussed the opportunities afforded by the enrollment of genetically stratified cohorts (i.e., leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 and glucocerebrosidase 1) into prevention trials with a primary focus on primary prevention trials. We also outlined challenges surrounding the enrollment of these cohorts and offered suggestions to leverage their many advantages.

Psychogenic epidemic - mass hysteria phenomena in Portugal

IntroductionMass hysteria also called mass psychogenic illness (MPI), defined as a social phenomenon, consists of collective anxiety due to a perceived threat and can culminate in a cascade of symptoms suggestive of organic disease without an identifiable cause. Its history dates back to the 14th century and impacts people from all cultures and regions of the world. Before the 20thcentury, MPI emerged across Europe, often in socially isolated convents, in highly stressful environments.Objectives The aim of this study is to explore the available literature on mass hysteria phenomena in Portugal, historical origins, applications and eventual position in modern psychiatric semiology.MethodsNon-systematic review of literature published in Medline/Pubmed. Search terms included: mass hysteria, nocebo, groupthink, emotional contagion.Results In Portugal two great phenomena of mass hysteria were described. In 1917, the “sun miracle” occurred, where thousands of individuals reported having seen the sun rotating in the sky and changing its size and colours. Years later, more than 300 students from 14 schools described the same symptoms: dizziness, dyspnea and rash, without an identifiable cause. In common these young people had “sugar strawberries”. In May 2006, the young people in the television series were infected with a vírus, and clinical picture was similar to that presented by young people in real life. For the first time, a fictional illness on television triggered an illness in real life.ConclusionsMore studies should be carried out on these phenomena as their early recognition can have a tremendous impact on the ease of identification, diagnosis and treatment.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

The Dissection Experience of Orthopedic Resident: A Comparison between Soft‐Preservation and Formalin‐Fixation Embalming Techniques

ObjectiveIn a recent study, it was found that residents will feel more confidence, independence and fluency in the operational procedures presented to them throughout their career if introduced to the learning first on a human donor (James et al., 2020). This study is a comparison of alcohol preserved to standard formalin preserved through regional‐based donor dissection completed by orthopedic residents. The results from this study will help inform orthopedic residencies to consider different preservation techniques of human donors in teaching their future students through dissection for better learning outcomes.MethodsOrthopedic Residents filled out a dissection survey after they had dissected for each week over a course of six weeks. Residents were expected to perform at least one dissection on a formalin‐based donor and one on an alcohol persevered donor for accurate comparison in data collection. The survey used a likert scale format ranging from 1 to 5. The survey questions range from bone, tendon, muscle, ligament, nerve, vessel quality; ease of dissection; similarity to in vivo tissue, ease of finding specific structures, etc. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the differences in resident opinion/experience between the two types of donors.ResultsA total of 24 residents participated in the dissector survey over the six weeks. Residents compared ease of dissection, ease of identification, odor of chemical, skills acquired, joint range of motion, tissue elasticity, donor comparability to live patients, time spent and overall learning preferences. 88.3% of residents in the dissections stated that overall they favored dissecting from alcohol preserved donors. When residents were asked to evaluate the differences in the donor preservations, residents favored alcohol preservation as a better way to stimulate their learning to in vivo tissue.Conclusions/ImplicationsOrthopedic Residents ultimately agree that the alcohol preserved donors are more effective when it comes to identifying the human body framework through dissection. The results suggest that orthopedic residency programs should take into consideration the preservation techniques when teaching their students anatomy from human donors.

Identification of the Peri-oral Mimic Muscles on Cadaver Slices and 3 and 7 Tesla MRI Scans.

Background:Decreased smile dynamics is reported as an unwanted side effect after Le Fort I osteotomies. It is assumed that this negative sequela might be caused by postoperative changes in the anatomy of peri-oral mimic muscles. Due to a lack of specific anatomical knowledge, the exact mechanism is not yet clarified. This makes prevention of the undesired changes in smile dynamics difficult. The first aim of this study is to increase basic anatomical and radiological MRI knowledge of the peri-oral mimic muscles. The second aim is to investigate if 7 Tesla MRI scans are better suited to identify these muscles than 3 Tesla MRI scans.Methods:Eleven peri-oral mimic muscles were chosen as subjects of the present study. Three and 7 Tesla MRI scans of a cadaver head were made. The same head was cut in axial slices using a cryomacrotome. Every second slice was digitally photographed. A three-dimensional model was created utilizing EMAC software, which served as gold standard for the identification and comparison of the chosen peri-oral mimic muscles on both MRI scans.Results:All predetermined peri-oral mimic muscles could be identified in the cadaver head, and a detailed radiological atlas was created. The ease of identification and separation of the peri-oral mimic muscles was significantly higher on the 7 Tesla MRI than on the 3 Tesla MRI scan (P < 0.001).Conclusion:A 7 Tesla MRI scanner offers great improvement in the identification of peri-oral mimic muscles compared with a 3 Tesla scanner.

What is Potentilla? A phylogeny‐based taxonomy for Potentillinae (Rosaceae)

AbstractClassification of Potentilla L. has varied considerably through time. Some authors have collapsed all of the Potentilleae tribe into a single genus, while others have divided it into more than 20 genera. All those classifications, except for the one that collapsed them all, have rendered the genus Potentilla polyphyletic. We discuss Potentilla from a phylogenetic perspective in order to achieve a reasonable classification in which Potentilla is based on a clade (monophyly). Other criteria are taken into account, namely: history, phylogenetic stability, gene flow, information content and ease of identification. All previously described genera in Potentillinae are briefly discussed and assigned to major clades. In order to do this, it was necessary to designate types for: Fraga Lapeyr., Trichothalamus Spreng., and Dactylophyllum Spenn. We discuss seven scenarios, representing the effects of classifying Potentilla at the seven major clades in Potentillinae, and conclude that the most supported and least disruptive is to classify Potentilla as the clade comprising all of Potentillinae excluding the Anserina clade.

Vitinellopsis nov. gen., a new calcareous alga (Chlorophyta, Bryopsidales) from the Silurian of Gotland (Sweden), and the tribe Vitinelleae nov. nom

The algal genus Vitinellopsis nov. gen. is well represented in the Silurian limestones of Gotland (Sweden). This new taxon is interpreted as a calcified codiacean alga (Chlorophyta, Bryopsidales). In the studied material, the calcareous wall of sparry calcite, probably originally aragonitic, appears well preserved. The subcylindrical thallus, with rounded ends, rarely bifurcated, measures up to 27 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. The medullar zone exhibits 4–6 longitudinal, subtly undulating siphons; the subcortical zone shows inflated, vesiculiform radial siphons, and the cortical zone displays small, relatively short acrophorous siphons. The status of the tribe Vitinelleae nomen novum, formerly Bothryelleae, is discussed. Given its abundance, ease of identification, and short stratigraphic range, Vitinellopsis gotlandica nov. gen., nov. sp. may prove useful for regional correlations, facies and paleobiogeographic studies.

Identifying clinical practice guidelines for symptom control in pediatric oncology.

Children with cancer commonly experience distressing symptoms such as pain, fatigue and nausea. Improvements in patient outcomes have been associated with implementation of clinical practice guideline-consistent care across several domains. The objective of this study was to develop a process to identify symptom management clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) applicable to children and adolescents receiving cancer treatments. We focused on identifying CPGs to manage 15 symptoms. The process defined three Tiers of CPGs based upon applicability to pediatric cancer patients and ease of identification: Tier 1: endorsed by the Children's Oncology Group; Tier 2: housed in the Emergency Care Research Institute repository, or developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology or National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; and Tier 3: identified by systematic review. We first searched for CPGs published 2015-2020 and identified Tiers 1 or 2 CPGs. If unavailable or scope was too narrow, we proceeded to Tier 3. If CPGs were not identified, we repeated these steps for CPGs published 2010-2014. There were six Tier 1 and 13 Tier 2 CPGs published 2015-2020 across the 15 symptoms. Four symptoms required progression to Tier 3 because CPGs were absent (anger) or because scope was too narrow (pain, anorexia/excessive hunger and diarrhea). The systematic review identified three CPGs for pain and none for the other three symptoms. In total, CPGs were identified for 14 of 15 symptoms. None were identified for anger. We created a process to identify supportive care CPGs for pediatric cancer symptom management and were able to identify CPGs that addressed 14 of 15 symptoms. Future work should focus on evaluating implementation techniques for these CPGs and determining the impact of these CPGs on provider and patient outcomes.

Two sides of the same coin? The persuasiveness of one-sided vs. two-sided narratives in the context of radicalization prevention

Societal organizations aim at challenging online extremist messages by counterposing with different narratives such as alternative narratives (one-sided narrative) and counter-narratives (two-sided narratives). The current study examined which type of narrative is more efficient in changing attitudes accounting for narrative involvement and reactance regarding the narrative. We employed a 2(one-sided vs. two-sided narrative) × 2 (ease of identification vs. no ease of identification) between-subjects design (N = 405) using a controversial topic: the ongoing debate about how to deal with the number of refugees in Germany. We found an indirect effect of the narrative on attitude change. People who read the two-sided narrative showed less reactance. The smaller the reactance, the more they felt involved in the narrative, which, in turn led to more positive attitudes towards refugees. We discuss these findings regarding their theoretical contribution to create customized narratives challenging extremist messages.

Orta ve Batı Karadeniz Bölgesi Yerel Yulaf Genotiplerinin Tanımlanmasında Kullanılan Bazı Morfolojik Özellikler

Bu çalışma, Orta ve Batı Karadeniz bölgesinde yetiştiriciliği yapılan yerel yulaf genotiplerin toplanması, korunması ve tanımlanması amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Araştırma kapsamında Düzce, Bolu, Zonguldak, Karabük, Kastamonu, Ordu, Sinop, Samsun, Amasya ve Tokat il sınırları içinde yetiştiricilik yapılan yerlerden 251 adet yerel yulaf genotipi toplanmıştır. Toplanan genotipler 4 standart yulaf çeşidi ile birlikte 2008 ve 2009 yılları yetiştirme sezonlarında Augmented deneme desenine göre Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Araştırma ve Uygulama alanında tarla denemesine alınmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda, incelenen parametreler bakımından önemli varyasyonların olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Genotipler arasında 229 genotipin büyüme şekli dik formda, 163 genotipin salkım tipi dağınık, 132 genotipin kavuz rengi sarı, 157 genotipin kılçık durumu kuvvetli kılçıklı ve 154 genotipin kallus tüylülüğünün ise tüysüz olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Matrix tablosu incelendiğinde yarı yatık büyüme şekline sahip yerel genotiplerin Amasya, Karabük, Kastamonu, Samsun, Tokat lokasyonlarından bulunmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Özellikle büyüme şekli, salkım tipi, kavuz rengi, kılçık durumu ve kallus tüylülüğü gibi parametreler çevre şartlarından etkilemediği için tanımlamada kolaylık sağlamaktadır. Bu bilgiler ışığında yerel genotiplerin toplandığı ekolojiler açısından genetik varyasyonun yüksek olduğu ve genetik kaynaklarımızın korunması ve ülke tarımının geleceği açısından yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.

The Impact of Forest Plantation Thinning on Flying Insect Community in Sukabumi Forest Management Unit

Insects are part of the forest ecosystem that plays an important role in the sustainability of the ecological functions of the forest plantations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of thinning on insect communities and determine the types of insects which has potential to be bioindicators in order to assess the success of thinning in forest plantations. This research was conducted on forest plantation at the part of Forest Management Unit (BKPH) Cikawung and West Gede, Forest Management Resort (RPH) Ciguha, Forest Management Unit (KPH) Sukabumi Perum Perhutani Regional Division III West Java and Banten. The plot used in this research is a circular plot with a radius of 17.95 m. The traps used are malaise traps that is spread on thinning blocks at thinning intensity of 20%. The type of stand of thinning plots is Pinus merkusii in the age class 3. The obtained insects later identified to the morphospecies level. The results of the study show that thinning affect changes in environmental conditions and insect composition. In thinning blocks, there was decrease in the number of insect compositions by 11 families, 4 genera and also decrease of 3 morphospecies. Overall, thinning activities have no effect on changes over species richness index and evenness index of insect species. Diptera is a type of insect that can be used as a bioindicator, it states based on the consideration of ease in obtaining information related to taxonomy and biological properties, ease of identification, role of the ecosystem, pressure status and abundance parameters. Keywords: bioindicator, ecological assessment, forest disturbance

Characterization of erythropoietin biosimilars using mass spectrometric CID and HCD techniques

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is the first cloned hematopoietic growth factor available for pharmaceutical treatment, especially anemia, since 1988. Unfortunately, the ability of rHuEPO in boosting erythropoiesis, and thus aerobic capacity has led to its abuse in endurance sport. Besides, the expiry of the original rHuEPO patent has resulted in many biosimilars being produced which led to special requirements regarding quality control. As a consequence, there is a huge demand for all rHuEPOs to be well characterized for the ease of identification, differentiation, and detection. Glycoproteomic mass spectrometry, the most current promising approach for rHuEPOs analysis, was employed to characterize 4 rHuEPOs including epoetin-α, epoetin-β, darbepoetin-α and Mircera. Via nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS, distinct glycoproteomic profiles of each rHuEPO have been achieved for differential analysis. With two different fragmentation methods, collision-induced dissociation (CID) and higher-energy collision dissociation (HCD), maximum of 75%, 70%, 70%, and 77% protein sequence coverages were attained for epoetin-α, epoetin-β, darbepoetin-α and Mircera, respectively. From the peptides/glycopeptides mixture, similar and unique peptides/glycopeptides (biomarkers) for each rHuEPO have been identified. With the discovery of high quality and unique biomarkers, a more standardized and efficient method for quality control and rHuEPO abuse detection can be developed.

A survey of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Ahuriri Scenic Reserve, Banks Peninsula, and comparisons with a previous survey performed 30 years earlier

ABSTRACTCarabidae (Coleoptera) are commonly used as indicators of ecosystem health due to their high diversity, conservation value and relative ease of identification. Carabids were monitored at Ahuriri Scenic Reserve, Port Hills, Canterbury, from August 2007 to September 2008 using pitfall traps. Carabid captures, species richness and distribution across the reserve were compared with those found in a similar study in 1977–1978. Monthly carabid captures were highly correlated with average temperature in both studies. There was little evidence of carabids responding to habitat factors, such as leaf litter depth, pH or ground cover. However, Megadromus antarcticus was positively associated with canopy openness and ground cover, whereas Holcaspis angustula was more abundant where canopy cover was extensive and there was a relatively high incidence of bare rock. Thirteen species of carabid were recorded in 1977–1978, of which six were absent, four had decreased, one was stable and two species increased in abundance from collections made in 2007–2008. The loss of one Banks Peninsula and five New Zealand endemic beetle species from this reserve is of concern, and future work should aim to gain more detailed information on the habitat requirements of these species to assist conservation management strategies.