True Pattern Research Articles

Spatial congruence between taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional hotspots: true pattern or methodological artefact?

AbstractAimTo assess the spatial congruence between hotspots based on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, after accounting for the correlation between diversity metrics, and the spatial scale and sampling completeness of data.LocationThe Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park (Central Pyrenees, Spain), a species‐rich area subjected to intensive botanical sampling.MethodsWe selected hotspots using different diversity metrics and two different data sources (~49,000 occurrence records of 1379 vascular plants in 1 × 1 km grid cells and 1218 inventories of plant communities containing a total of 859 taxa) and compared their spatial congruence. The effect of sampling completeness of data was explicitly assessed. Phylogenetic diversity and functional diversity (measured with richness‐dependent and richness‐independent metrics) were based on a molecular phylogeny, and a functional dendrogram, respectively. The effectiveness of different types of hotspots in representing other diversity components was tested with permutation tests.ResultsWe found that spurious correlations between diversity metrics explained the congruence between taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional hotspots. When richness‐independent metrics were used, diversity hotspots were no longer congruent regardless of the source of data. Hotspots were biased towards intensively sampled grid cells, and the amount of diversity they captured was exaggerated due to the coarse spatial scale of species‐occurrence data. The efficiency of hotspots in terms of integrating different diversity components was lower at community scale and not significantly higher than expected at random, regardless of the sampling completeness.Main conclusionsOur results stress that the arbitrary use of diversity metrics and the scale of analyses along with the sampling bias in data can distort the true location of hotspots, and exaggerate their spatial congruence. After accounting for such methodological issues, we found a clear mismatch between diversity components that questions the utility of hotspots as a conservation tool of multiple diversity components.

Low back pain patterns over one year among 842 workers in the DPhacto study and predictors for chronicity based on repetitive measurements.

BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) occurrence and intensity are considered to fluctuate over time, requiring frequent repetitive assessments to capture its true time pattern. Text messages makes frequent reporting of LBP feasible, which enables investigation of 1) the time pattern of LBP, and 2) predictors for having a continued high (chronic) level of LBP over longer periods of time. However, this has not previously been investigated in a larger working population.The aim of this study was to examine these two aspects in a working population of 842 workers with repetitive measurements of LBP over one year.MethodsThere were 842 workers from 15 companies in the DPhacto study participating in this study. Demographic, work- and health-related factors, and back endurance were measured at baseline, while 14 monthly repeated text message assessments of LBP intensity were prospectively collected. A factor analysis was used to cluster different time-patterns of LBP, and defining the group of participants with chronic LBP. A multi-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate baseline predictors for chronic LBP.ResultsThe factor analysis revealed two dimensions of the time pattern of LBP, defined as the LBP intensity and LBP variation, respectively. A Visual Pain Mapping was formed based on the combination of the two pain dimensions, classifying the time-patterns of LBP into four categories: (1) low intensity and low variation, (2) low intensity and high variation, (3) high intensity and high variation, (4) high intensity and low variation (defined as chronic LBP). Significant baseline predictors for chronic LBP in the fully adjusted model were high baseline LBP (p < 0.01), low workability (p < 0.01), low BMI (p < 0.05), and being a blue-collar worker (vs. white-collar worker) (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study presents a novel classification of the course of LBP based on repetitive measurements over a year, and revealed the predicting factors for chronic LBP based on repetitive measurements in a working population.

Characterizing CMIP5 model spread in simulated rainfall in the Pacific Intertropical Convergence and South Pacific Convergence Zones

AbstractCurrent‐generation climate models exhibit various errors or biases in both the spatial distribution and intensity of precipitation relative to observations. In this study, empirical orthogonal function analysis is applied to the space‐model index domain of precipitation over the Pacific from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulations to explore systematic spread of simulated precipitation characteristics across the ensemble. Two significant modes of spread, generically termed principal uncertainty patterns (PUPs), are identified in the December‐January‐February precipitation climatology: the leading PUP is associated with the meridional width of deep convection, while the second is associated with tradeoffs in precipitation intensity along the South Pacific Convergence Zone, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and the spurious Southern Hemisphere ITCZ. An important factor distinguishing PUPs from the analogy to time series analysis is that the modes can reflect either true systematic intermodel variance patterns or internal variability. In order to establish that the PUPS reflect the former, three complementary tests are performed by using preindustrial control simulations: a bootstrap significance test for reproducibility of the intermodel spatial patterns, a check for robustness over very long climatological averages, and a test on the loadings of these patterns relative to interdecadal sampling. Composite analysis based on these PUPs demonstrates physically plausible relationships to CMIP5 ensemble spread in simulated sea surface temperatures (SSTs), circulation, and moisture. Further analysis of atmosphere‐only, prescribed SST simulations demonstrates decreased spread in the spatial distribution of precipitation, while substantial spread in intensity remains.

Does true Gleason pattern 3 merit its cancer descriptor?

Nearly five decades following its conception, the Gleason grading system remains a cornerstone in the prognostication and management of patients with prostate cancer. In the past few years, a debate has been growing whether Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 prostate cancer is a clinically significant disease. Clinical, molecular and genetic research is addressing the question whether well characterized Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease has the ability to affect the morbidity and quality of life of an individual in whom it is diagnosed. The consequences of treatment of Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease are considerable; few men get through their treatments without sustaining some harm. Further modification of the classification of prostate cancer and dropping the label cancer for Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease might be warranted.

Using Gini coefficient to determining optimal cluster reporting sizes for spatial scan statistics.

BackgroundSpatial and space–time scan statistics are widely used in disease surveillance to identify geographical areas of elevated disease risk and for the early detection of disease outbreaks. With a scan statistic, a scanning window of variable location and size moves across the map to evaluate thousands of overlapping windows as potential clusters, adjusting for the multiple testing. Almost always, the method will find many very similar overlapping clusters, and it is not useful to report all of them. This paper proposes to use the Gini coefficient to help select which of the many overlapping clusters to report.MethodsThe Gini coefficient provides a quick and intuitive way to evaluate the degree of the heterogeneity of the collection of clusters, which is useful to explain how well the cluster collection reveal the underlying true cluster patterns. Using simulation studies and real cancer mortality data, it is compared with the traditional approach for reporting non-overlapping clusters.ResultsThe Gini coefficient can identify a more refined collection of non-overlapping clusters to report. For example, it is able to determine when it makes more sense to report a collection of smaller non-overlapping clusters versus a single large cluster containing all of them. It also fulfils a set of desirable theoretical properties, such as being invariant under a uniform multiplication of the population numbers by the same constant.ConclusionsThe Gini coefficient can be used to determine which set of non-overlapping clusters to report. It has been implemented in the free SaTScan™ software version 9.3 (www.satscan.org).

Inter- and intra-speaker variation in French schwa

Quantitative constraint-based theories of optionality typically aim to model the frequency with which an individual speaker’s grammar maps one input onto various output forms. But existing studies in this area use population-level frequency data as a proxy for the frequencies produced by an individual speaker’s grammar. This practice is problematic for three reasons. First, population-level variation could result from aggregation over individuals with differing categorical behavior, not individual variation at all. Second, some theories predict that individuals with identical relative constraint rankings/weights can produce those outputs with different frequencies, while others predict uniform frequencies across speakers; these prediction cannot be tested without individual-level data. Third, if indeed individuals differ in their output frequencies, population-level averages may disguise true patterns of individual variation. This paper addresses these shortcomings through a corpus study of optional schwa deletion in French. We find that individual speakers do in fact show variable omission of schwa. We also find variation between speakers in the frequency of schwa’s appearance. Taken together, these results confirm that for French schwa, formal theories are correct to ascribe variation to a single speaker’s grammar, and they favor theories that decouple the means of producing variation from the account of output frequency.

Molecular methods reveal controls on nematode community structure and unexpectedly high nematode diversity, in Svalbard high Arctic tundra

Nematodes are among the most abundant metazoans in soils, but their true diversity and distribution patterns remain poorly investigated, especially in polar environments. Here, we studied three high Arctic tundra sites at Kongsford, NW Svalbard (78°55′N) to understand: (1) Whether there is detectable small-scale habitat variation, (2) What the predictors of diversity and community variation are, and (3) Whether molecular methodology reveals greater diversity than morphological studies. DNA was extracted using the Baermann funnel method, and PCR amplified for the 18S rRNA gene, followed by 454-pyrosequencing. Our samples revealed no difference in nematode OTU α-diversity between different tundra habitats. Similarly, we found no correlation between nematode α-diversity in individual samples and soil properties or vegetation coverage. However, β-diversity was lower in the highly vegetated tundra than in the other tundra. There was no evidence of distinct nematode communities between individual 1 m2 quadrats of different vegetation cover and soil parameters. Overall, the community composition of highly vegetated tundra clustered separately from less vegetated tundra. The phylogenetic community assembly analysis indicated that the variation of nematode community was deterministic. This suggests that—despite the ‘extreme’ environment—nematodes in the high Arctic tundra are still to some extent habitat specialized. This study also revealed a much greater overall nematode diversity than has been previously detected in Svalbard. The nematode OTU diversity in our samples was considerably higher than the total species previously reported. This suggests the potential of DNA-based methods to rapidly reveal the true diversity of metazoans.

Dependence of the endangered arboreal snail Satsuma (Luchuhadra) eucosmia eucosmia (Camaenidae) on Ficus (Moraceae) trees as its main habitat

ABSTRACTThe specific vegetation required by the endangered arboreal snail Satsuma (Luchuhadra) is subtropical rainforest characterised by Ficus tree species (Moraceae), such as Ficus virgata and Ficus microcarpa. This study aimed to elucidate the tree habitat preference of Luchuhadra eucosmia eucosmia inhabiting the northern part of Okinawa Island, which is an area characterised by different tree communities containing various species of Ficus. First, the preference for Ficus trees by the snails was evaluated by comparing the number of empty shells in quadrats where Ficus trees were present and absent. Noticeably, more shells were found in Ficus-occupied quadrats. Second, a belt transect survey was conducted to analyse the relationship between the abundance of live snails and the horizontal crown width of six Ficus species. In total, 72 live snails were recorded, but their presence was not proportional to the relative dominance of Ficus species, with more snails occurring on established F. virgata and Ficus ampelas. Overall, our results support previous studies, demonstrating that Ficus trees represent a critical habitat resource for S. (L.) eucosmia eucosmia. However, further investigation of the aerial distribution of snails at night and during the reproductive season is necessary to determine the true resource usage pattern of this snail species.

Analysis of coenzyme A activated compounds in actinomycetes.

Acyl-CoAs are crucial compounds involved in essential metabolic pathways such as the Krebs cycle and lipid, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolisms, and they are also key signal molecules involved in the transcriptional regulation of lipid biosynthesis in many organisms. In this study, we took advantage of the high selectivity of mass spectrometry and developed an ion-pairing reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (IP-RP-HPLC/ESI-HRMS) method to carry on a comprehensive analytical determination of the wide range of fatty acyl-CoAs present in actinomycetes. The advantage of using a QTOF spectrometer resides in the excellent mass accuracy over a wide dynamic range and measurements of the true isotope pattern that can be used for molecular formula elucidation of unknown analytes. As a proof of concept, we used this assay to determine the composition of the fatty acyl-CoA pools in Mycobacterium, Streptomyces, and Corynebacterium species, revealing an extraordinary difference in fatty acyl-CoA amounts and species distribution between the three genera and between the two species of mycobacteria analyzed, including the presence of different chain-length carboxy-acyl-CoAs, key substrates of mycolic acid biosynthesis. The method was also used to analyze the impact of two fatty acid synthase inhibitors on the acyl-CoA profile of Mycobacterium smegmatis, which showed some unexpected low levels of C24 acyl-CoAs in the isoniazid-treated cells. This robust, sensitive, and reliable method should be broadly applicable in the studies of the wide range of bacteria metabolisms in which acyl-CoA molecules participate.

Spatial validation of large‐scale land surface models against monthly land surface temperature patterns using innovative performance metrics

AbstractLand surface models (LSMs) are a key tool to enhance process understanding and to provide predictions of the terrestrial hydrosphere and its atmospheric coupling. Distributed LSMs predict hydrological states and fluxes, such as land surface temperature (LST) or actual evapotranspiration (aET), at each grid cell. LST observations are widely available through satellite remote sensing platforms that enable comprehensive spatial validations of LSMs. In spite of the great availability of LST data, most validation studies rely on simple cell to cell comparisons and thus do not regard true spatial pattern information. The core novelty of this study is the development and application of two innovative spatial performance metrics, namely, empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and connectivity analyses, to validate predicted LST patterns by three LSMs (Mosaic, Noah, Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC)) over the contiguous United States. The LST validation data set is derived from global High‐Resolution Infrared Radiometric Sounder retrievals for a 30 year period. The metrics are bias insensitive, which is an important feature in order to truly validate spatial patterns. The EOF analysis evaluates the spatial variability and pattern seasonality and attests better performance to VIC in the warm months and to Mosaic and Noah in the cold months. Further, more than 75% of the LST variability can be captured by a single pattern that is strongly correlated to air temperature. The connectivity analysis assesses the homogeneity and smoothness of patterns. The LSMs are most reliable at predicting cold LST patterns in the warm months and vice versa. Lastly, the coupling between aET and LST is investigated at flux tower sites and compared against LSMs to explain the identified LST shortcomings.

1st Proctor Lecture of ISSMGE:

Abstract Ballasted rail tracks are widely used throughout the world because they are economical, readily drained, and have sufficient load bearing capacity. Despite these advantages, geotechnical concerns such as ballast degradation, fouling (e.g. coal and subgrade soil), poor drainage of soft subgrade, pumping of clayey subgrade, differential track settlement and track misalignment due to excessive lateral movements exacerbate the cost of track maintenance. Globally, billions of dollars are spent annually on the construction and maintenance of rail tracks. Existing industry design standards are often unable to address these problems because they ignore true cyclic loading patterns, track vibrations, and the onset of plasticity and degradation of track materials. The mechanisms of ballast breakage and deformation, understanding the interface behaviour using geosynthetics, the need for effective track confinement using geocells, time-dependent drainage and filtration properties of track materials require further research to improve existing design guidelines. In view of this, large scale laboratory tests have been carried out using state-of-the-art facilities designed and built at the University of Wollongong and in other proactive rail institutes worldwide in Europe, America, Japan and China. Based on these tests, various factors governing the stress–strain behaviour of ballast, the strength and degradation of ballast, the ability of various geosynthetics and synthetic energy absorbing mats to minimise ballast breakage and track settlement, the effectiveness of subballast as a granular filter and its stabilisation with geocell have been analysed. In Australia, field studies on instrumented tracks at Bulli (near Wollongong), Singleton and Sandgate (near Newcastle), have been carried out to assess the performance of railroad embankments stabilised with geosynthetic grids, rubber mats, and prefabricated vertical drains. This inaugural Ralph Proctor Lecture focuses on the current state of research encompassing deformation and degradation assessment of railroads and the benefits of geo-inclusions, highlighting examples of innovations from theory to practice, predominantly based on the own experience of the Author.

Complex signal analysis for planetary gearbox fault diagnosis via shift invariant dictionary learning

Planetary gearbox vibration signals are intricate due to the unique structure, complex kinetics and background noise interference. Moreover, they have time shift invariant feature because of the periodical rotation of the mechanical components. Reliable feature extraction from such signals is the key to success in planetary gearbox fault diagnosis. The recently proposed shift invariant K-means singular value decomposition (SI-K-SVD) dictionary learning method offers a good approach to analyze such signals. This method requires neither a priori knowledge on signals to construct any analytic dictionary, nor a large number of sample signals to form a training dictionary. It is therefore data-driven in nature, and highly flexible and adaptive to represent signals. In this paper, such properties of the SI-K-SVD are exploited to extract the latent constituent components of complex signals and use them to represent signals sparsely, thus suppressing background noise and revealing the true vibration patterns. To apply the SI-K-SVD method to planetary gearbox signals, the criteria for determining the key parameters used in the SI-K-SVD, i.e., the length of pattern and number of decompositions, are suggested. The method has been illustrated by analyzing numerically simulated signals. It has been favorably compared with the frequently used matching pursuit (MP) and K-means singular value decomposition (K-SVD) methods. Its effectiveness in real planetary gearbox fault diagnosis has been validated by analysis of lab experimental signals of a planetary gearbox. The results show that both localized and distributed gear faults can be diagnosed successfully.

Recurrent Acute Tonsillitis, The 'Core' Issue

Introduction:&#x0D; Today bacteriological and patho-anatomical considerations too are taken into account while treating a case of tonsillitis. Past decade has seen the rise of resistance amongst the common pathogens, as well as rise in the number of unusual offenders. Determination of the true offending organism and prescribing an antibiotic as per the sensitivity pattern is of utmost importance.&#x0D; Materials and Method:&#x0D; A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata. The study population consisted of patients presenting with recurrent attacks of acute tonsillitis. Determination of throat swab micro flora, ASO titre and core tissue microflora was done and correlated statistically.&#x0D; Result:&#x0D; There was poor correlation between throat swab and core tissue microflora. Positive predictive value of throat swab was 10%. Pseudomonas is the predominant flora harbouring tonsillar core in our study population. Amoxicillin the most commonly prescribed antibiotic stands out to be the most resistant one. No statistical significance could be reached comparing streptococcal tonsillitis with ASO titre.&#x0D; Discussion:&#x0D; The real pathology within the tonsil core is not always reflected in routine throat swab and bacteriology of recurrent tonsillitis may differ in different regions. ASO titre estimation adds up to the economic burden if rheumatic fever is not suspected. Judicious use of antibiotics based on true sensitivity pattern is encouraged. In the era of antibiotics Tonsillectomy still holds an important position in the management of recurrent attacks.&#x0D; Conclusion:&#x0D; Pseudomonas was found to be the most common pathogen in recurrent acute tonsillitis. Core tissue study remains the Gold standard in identifying the pathogenic organism. Oral third generation Cephalosporin was the most efficacious antibiotic for recurrent tonsillitis in our study population.

VA-Index: Quantifying Assortativity Patterns in Networks with Multidimensional Nodal Attributes.

Network connections have been shown to be correlated with structural or external attributes of the network vertices in a variety of cases. Given the prevalence of this phenomenon network scientists have developed metrics to quantify its extent. In particular, the assortativity coefficient is used to capture the level of correlation between a single-dimensional attribute (categorical or scalar) of the network nodes and the observed connections, i.e., the edges. Nevertheless, in many cases a multi-dimensional, i.e., vector feature of the nodes is of interest. Similar attributes can describe complex behavioral patterns (e.g., mobility) of the network entities. To date little attention has been given to this setting and there has not been a general and formal treatment of this problem. In this study we develop a metric, the vector assortativity index (VA-index for short), based on network randomization and (empirical) statistical hypothesis testing that is able to quantify the assortativity patterns of a network with respect to a vector attribute. Our extensive experimental results on synthetic network data show that the VA-index outperforms a baseline extension of the assortativity coefficient, which has been used in the literature to cope with similar cases. Furthermore, the VA-index can be calibrated (in terms of parameters) fairly easy, while its benefits increase with the (co-)variance of the vector elements, where the baseline systematically over(under)estimate the true mixing patterns of the network.

Criteria for evaluating rSr′ patterns due to high precordial ECG lead placement accurately confirm absence of a Brugada ECG pattern

BackgroundAn rSr′ pattern in leads V1–V2 can be observed when ECG leads are placed in the 2nd intercostal space. Recently, three criteria analyzing the ST segment and r′ width to identify true Brugada pattern ECGs have been described. ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility and reliability of using high precordial lead ECGs in conjunction with three new criteria for identifying true Brugada pattern ECGs. MethodsECGs of 491 college athletes and 181 non-athletes were performed with standard and high-lead ECGs. ECGs were then analyzed using the newly proposed criteria. ResultsZero patients had a Brugada type 1 or 2 pattern at baseline; 76 patients demonstrated an rSr′ pattern in leads V1–V2 on the high-lead ECG. Two of the 76 (3%) met criteria suggesting a true Brugada ECG. ConclusionNew ECG criteria based on the r′ wave accurately identify rSr′ patterns in V1–V2 from potential Brugada type 2 patterns in patients with purposely placed high precordial leads.

Elimination of straightening operation in induction hardening of automotive camshafts

Recent technological breakthroughs in induction surface hardening of camshafts dramatically reduce their distortion. Achieving almost undetectable camshaft distortion and, in many cases, an elimination of an entire straightening operation is the result of three factors: an ability to form a true uniform hardness pattern, minimisation of maximum pick temperature and avoidance of applying any pressure/force during hardening. Other benefits of utilising the SHarP-CTM Technology in recent installations have proven to produce not only superior straightness but also better metallurgical properties of induction hardened lobes and bearings. This advanced technology also minimises energy consumption and substantially increases inductor life.

Detection of inhomogeneities in precipitation time series in Portugal using direct sequential simulation

Climate data homogenisation is of major importance in climate change monitoring, validation of weather forecasting, general circulation and regional atmospheric models, modelling of erosion, drought monitoring, among other studies of hydrological and environmental impacts. The reason is that non-climate factors can cause time series discontinuities which may hide the true climatic signal and patterns, thus potentially bias the conclusions of those studies. In the last two decades, many methods have been developed to identify and remove these inhomogeneities. One of those is based on a geostatistical simulation technique (DSS — direct sequential simulation), where local probability density functions (pdfs) are calculated at candidate monitoring stations using spatial and temporal neighbouring observations, which then are used for the detection of inhomogeneities. Such approach has been previously applied to detect inhomogeneities in four precipitation series (wet day count) from a network with 66 monitoring stations located in the southern region of Portugal (1980–2001). That study revealed promising results and the potential advantages of geostatistical techniques for inhomogeneity detection in climate time series. This work extends the case study presented before and investigates the application of the geostatistical stochastic approach to ten precipitation series that were previously classified as inhomogeneous by one of six absolute homogeneity tests (Mann–Kendall, Wald–Wolfowitz runs, Von Neumann ratio, Pettitt, Buishand range test, and standard normal homogeneity test (SNHT) for a single break). Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the number of simulated realisations which should be used to infer the local pdfs with more accuracy. Accordingly, the number of simulations per iteration was increased from 50 to 500, which resulted in a more representative local pdf. As in the previous study, the results are compared with those from the SNHT, Pettitt and Buishand range tests, which were applied to composite (ratio) reference series. The geostatistical procedure also allowed us to fill in missing values in the climate data series. Finally, based on several experiments aimed at providing a sensitivity analysis of the procedure, a set of default and recommended settings is provided, which will help other users to apply this method.

No substitute for real data: A cautionary note on the use of phylogenies from birth-death polytomy resolvers for downstream comparative analyses.

The statistical estimation of phylogenies is always associated with uncertainty, and accommodating this uncertainty is an important component of modern phylogenetic comparative analysis. The birth-death polytomy resolver is a method of accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty that places missing (unsampled) taxa onto phylogenetic trees, using taxonomic information alone. Recent studies of birds and mammals have used this approach to generate pseudoposterior distributions of phylogenetic trees that are complete at the species level, even in the absence of genetic data for many species. Many researchers have used these distributions of phylogenies for downstream evolutionary analyses that involve inferences on phenotypic evolution, geography, and community assembly. I demonstrate that the use of phylogenies constructed in this fashion is inappropriate for many questions involving traits. Because species are placed on trees at random with respect to trait values, the birth-death polytomy resolver breaks down natural patterns of trait phylogenetic structure. Inferences based on these trees are predictably and often drastically biased in a direction that depends on the underlying (true) pattern of phylogenetic structure in traits. I illustrate the severity of the phenomenon for both continuous and discrete traits using examples from a global bird phylogeny.

Serological patterns of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis in pig herds affected by pleuritis.

BackgroundRespiratory illness is traditionally regarded as the disease of the growing pig, and has historically mainly been associated to bacterial infections with focus on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. These bacteria still are of great importance, but continuously increasing herd sizes have complicated the scenario and the influence of secondary invaders may have been increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of A. pleuropneumoniae and M. hyopneumoniae, as well as that of the secondary invaders Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis by serology in four pig herds (A–D) using age segregated rearing systems with high incidences of pleuritic lesions at slaughter.ResultsPleuritic lesions registered at slaughter ranged from 20.5 to 33.1 % in the four herds. In herd A, the levels of serum antibodies to A. pleuropneumoniae exceeded A450 > 1.5, but not to any other microbe searched for. The seroconversion took place early during the fattening period. Similar levels of serum antibodies to A. pleuropneumoniae were also recorded in herd B, with a subsequent increase in levels of antibodies to P. multocida. Pigs seroconverted to both agents during the early phase of the fattening period. In herd C, pigs seroconverted to P. multocida during the early phase of the fattening period and thereafter to A. pleuropneumoniae. In herd D, the levels of antibodies to P. multocida exceeded A450 > 1.0 in absence (A450 < 0.5) of antibodies to A. pleuropneumoniae. The levels of serum antibodies to M. hyopneumoniae and to S. suis remained below A450 < 1.0 in all four herds. Pigs seroconverted to M. hyopneumoniae late during the rearing period (herd B–D), or not at all (herd A).ConclusionDifferent serological patterns were found in the four herds with high levels of serum antibodies to A. pleuropneumoniae and P. multocida, either alone or in combination with each other. Seroconversion to M. hyopneumoniae late during the rearing period or not at all, confirmed the positive effect of age segregated rearing in preventing or delaying infections with M. hyopneumoniae. The results obtained highlight the necessity of diagnostic investigations to define the true disease pattern in herds with a high incidence of pleuritic lesions.

First verified record of the ant genus Calyptomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India, along with a revised key to known Indomalayan species.

BackgroundThe members of genus Calyptomyrmex are mostly encountered under rotten logs, in the soil, under stones and in leaf litter samples. These ants are seldom in collections making estimation of their true distributional patterns problematic (Shattuck 2011). The deep antennal scrobes and the unique configuration of the clypeus are distinct to the genus (Bolton 1981).New informationHerein Calyptomyrmex wittmeri Baroni Urbani, 1975 is redescribed and reported for the first time from India. This also confirms the first valid published record of the genus from the country. The image hosted by AntWeb as C. vedda (CASENT0280817; AntWeb 2015b) collected by Besuchet, Löbl, Mussard from Kerala, India and identified by Brown is actually C. wittmeri (Brown was uncertain of his determination of C. vedda and cautiously inserted an interrogation point in front of his determination). Two workers recently collected at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Kerala present similarities to the specimen identified by Brown. However, characters as the lack of well-developed promesonotal suture, absence of clavate setae, and narrow petiolar node, concur with the diagnosis of C. wittmeri. A revised key to known Indomalayan species of the genus is provided herewith.