Search

The Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica is a non-breeding, sexually dimorphic, and diurnal migrant that overwinters worldwide, including in Peninsular Malaysia. While numerous studies on Barn Swallows have been conducted, their ecology in wintering sites, particularly tropical regions, remains poorly understood. Notably, little information is available on the morphological sex determination of Barn Swallows, especially for the East Asian Barn Swallow H. r. gutturalis population. This population migrates through or winters in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, while breeding occurs from the eastern Himalayas to northeast Russia (Siberia), China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. This study aims to determine the best parameters for the morphological sexing of East Asian Barn Swallows and was conducted in Bentong, Pahang, central Peninsular Malaysia. Swallows were captured using a modified scoop net attached to a telescopic pole, and their morphological data were recorded. A total of 46 individual East Asian Barn Swallows (19 females and 27 males) were captured for sex determination. We confirmed the sex and subspecies of sampled individuals using a molecular approach. We observed that two of the seven measured variables—tail fork depth (the length difference between the outermost and innermost tail feathers; T6-T1) and the length of the outermost tail feather (6th rectrix; T6) were chosen as the best predictors for sex determination. According to the quadratic discriminant functions constructed, approximately 89.47% of females and 96.3% of males were correctly classified using a combination of both chosen predictors. These morphological determination findings represent baseline knowledge that can help to provide more accurate and convenient Barn Swallow sex determination in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial sensors may help clinicians to assess patients' movement and potentially support clinical decision making. Our aim was to determine whether shoulder range of motion during movement tasks measured using inertial sensors is capable of accurately discriminating between patients with different shoulder problems. Inertial sensors were used to measure 3-dimensional shoulder motion during 6 tasks of 37 patients on the waiting list for shoulder surgery. Discriminant function analysis was used to identify whether the range of motion of different tasks could classify patients with different shoulder problems. The discriminant function analysis could correctly classify 91.9% of patients into one of the 3 diagnostic groups based. The tasks that associated a patient with a particular diagnostic group were the following: subacromial decompression: abduction, rotator cuff repair of tears ≤5 cm: flexion and rotator cuff repair of tears >5 cm: combing hair, abduction, and horizontal abduction–adduction. The discriminant function analysis showed that range of motion measured by inertial sensors can correctly classify patients and could be used as a screening tool to support surgery planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the severity of mistletoe infection on junipers and the relationship between tree characteristics, physiographic factors and mistletoe infection. The study was conducted in two protected areas: Parvar and Miankouh Tash in Semnan Province, Iran. A dwarf mistletoe‐infested area of 400 ha was sampled by placing a 250 × 250 m grid over a map of each study area. A 20 × 20 m (400 m2) plot was placed at the intersection of grid lines. This resulted in a total of 110 forested plots: 45 plots in Parvar and 65 plots in Miankouh Tash. In each plot, all live junipers were measured for total height, crown area, collar diameter and crown diameter. Mistletoe severity was estimated using the 6‐class dwarf mistletoe rating system (DMR). Dead trees were also recorded and examined for evidence of past mistletoe infection. The Boruta algorithm was used for feature selection, and the selected features were utilised for predicting DMR using a random forest (RF) model. Over 40% of junipers in the sample plots were infected and 7.5% were dead. Mortality was greater in severely infested plots compared to uninfested and lightly infested plots. The results of univariate analysis demonstrated that the largest trees across plots were more severely infected. Infection severity was highest on steep terrains (slopes more than 60%) where the largest junipers were growing. Based on Boruta feature selection algorithm, collar diameter, tree height and crown area of junipers have been detected as the most important variables for the explanation of infection severity. Crown diameter, geographical aspect, density of juniper trees, altitude and juniper canopy cover were classified as tentative variables in this model. Slope percentage beside two variables related to stand characteristics including all woody species (basal area and tree density) were the rejected variables. The correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square error (RMSE) between the predictions by RF and the measured DMR were 0.83 and 0.53 respectively. These results indicate that the selected environmental variables can be used for spatial prediction of DMR in both study areas. Because increased mortality was observed for severely infected areas, more efficient management methods are needed to control the dwarf mistletoe populations in the Alborz Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphometric measurement of the hyoid bone has been extensively studied in the literature, although morphological evaluations are covered in a limited number of studies. The aim of this study was to ascertain the fusion status and hyoid bone type and their relationships with age groups and sex. An examination was made of computed tomography scans of 320 patients. The types and degrees of fusion of the hyoid bone were determined. Hyoid type-U was most frequently observed in males (25.6%), type-D in females (31.9%) and the overall population (30.8%). There was no statistically significant difference in fusion formation on the right and left sides. The number of bones with fusion increased in both sexes with age (p=0.001). The earliest fusion observed was in a case aged 16 years, and 50% of the cases did not have fusion at age 61 years or older. Unlike previous studies, hyoid type and fusion status were evaluated using discriminant function analysis. Hyoid type and fusion cannot be indicative criteria for sex and age determination, but it might be feasible to accurately identify a person younger than twenty years old. The data obtained in the current study can be considered to make an important contribution to future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the facial bone remains are mostly damaged or fractured in the crime scenes, the occipital bone (OB) is a possible skull bone to be used for sex determination in forensic sciences. The high accuracy of the use of the OB for sex estimation has been reported in many populations. This recent study attempted to modify and apply the 12 parameters on OB for such determination in the Northeastern Thai skulls. Discriminant function analyses and descriptive statistics were performed. The results showed that all parameters including the hormion-basion length, bi-lower part of temporo-occipital suture breadth, bi-asterios breadth, opisthion-lambda length, foramen magnum breadth, foramen magnum length, right-lower part of temporo-occipital suture to opisthion length, left-lower part of temporo-occipital suture to opisthion length, right-asterion to basion length, left-asterion to basion length, right-asterion to lambda length, and left-asterion to lambda length of males were significantly higher than those of females (P<0.01). Interestingly the discriminant equation analyzed from univariable showed that the temporo-occipital suture breadth (TOB) has the highest accuracy rate (75.4 %) among 12 parameters. For multivariable analysis via stepwise method, the hormion-basion length (HBL), temporo-occipital suture breadth (TOB), and left asterion to basion length (Lt. ABL) provided the highest rate of accuracy (78.8 %). In conclusion, this study suggested that TOB, HBL, and Lt. ABL are potential parameters to be used for sex determination on dry occipital bone remains of the Northeastern Thai population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the crucial steps in the process of identification of human remains is sex determination of an unknown individual. Sex can be determined using the human skeleton, especially by examining the pelvis and skull. Odontometric analysis and assessment of sexual dimorphism of the human dentition has been less investigated, especially in primary dentition. Hence, this research was designed to verify the presence of sexual dimorphism through odontometric approach in paediatric population of Tamil Nadu, India. The present study was performed on 229 females and 244 males between 3 and 6 years of age. Linear measurements such as maximum mesio distal width, maximum bucco lingual width and clinical crown length were measured in all the primary teeth. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science version 20.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Mann–Whitney-U test was used to check the statistical significance of the differences observed between males and females. Six equations were derived by discriminant function analysis for practical use. Sexual dimorphism existed in odontometric parameters of primary dentition. The maximum sexual dimorphism was observed in maximum bucco lingual width of 51 and maximum bucco lingual width of 75. The equations derived using discriminant function analysis yielded a jackknife accuracy ranging between 87.5% and 99.8%. These equations may be used to assess the sex from the children of Tamil Nadu, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crab species are increasingly important socioeconomic resources that are threatened by human exploitation, climate change, and invasive species, such as European green crabs (Carcinus maenas). However, the continued health of their populations is often uncertain given the limited long‐term population data, necessitating alternate approaches to ensure their continued viability. Furthermore, C. maenas are one of the most highly invasive and destructive marine species globally, posing a threat to local ecosystems and species, including socioeconomically important crabs and their mollusc prey. Improved understanding of C. maenas invasions and their impacts on local crab and mollusc resources is therefore vitally important. Here, we present a new method for identifying species‐level presence and relative abundances of important crab species, including invasive C. maenas, from the scars they leave on their prey. We conducted controlled manipulative feeding experiments in which individuals of Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister), red rock crabs (Cancer productus), and C. maenas, were allowed to attack snails (Tegula funebralis) and produce sublethal shell damage. Resulting shell damage was photographed and landmarked for geometric morphometric analyses to determine any differences in the shape of shell damage between crab species. There were statistically significant differences between the shape of shell damage created by all three crab species (p <.0001). Shell damage formed a gradient from narrow/deep (C. productus) to shallow/wide (C. maenas) with M. magister as an intermediate form. Our method provides a novel, cost‐effective tool for long‐term species‐specific reconstructions of crab populations and assessing the broader ecological impacts of C. maenas invasions that can inform management and mitigation for these three important crab species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of sex estimation standards, especially in locations with high murder case loads like South Africa, is important to aid in establishing the biological profile of victims. There is a lack of information on the utility of the measurements around the metatarsal diaphyseal nutrient foramina (NF) in sex estimation in South Africans of Mixed ancestry (SAMA). Five measurements around the NF were taken from a total of 248 metatarsals (first to fifth) from 28 males and 23 females of SAMA population. Measurements subjected to direct and stepwise discriminant function (DFA) and logistic regression (LRA) analyses included total length, distance from proximal end to NF, circumference, and mediolateral and dorsoplantar diameters at the level of the NF. The univariable functions produced 60.8–80% accuracy rates. The original classification accuracies for the stepwise and direct DFA multivariable functions ranged from 75.5–80% and 75–81.3%, respectively. The original classification accuracies for the stepwise and direct LRA multivariable functions ranged from 75.5%–80% and 75%–83.7%, respectively. The cross-validation classifications showed a drop of 0–4% for DFA and 0.7–5.4% for LRA. The multivariable DFA and LRA functions produced high average classification accuracies appropriate for use in forensic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated morphological differences, habitat preference, and ecological niche overlap in two sympatric Capoeta species i.e., Capoeta. damascina and Capoeta umbla collected from the Sirvan river drainage. Ten environmental factors, including pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), river width, river depth, flow velocity, altitude, slope, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured during sampling time. A total of 17 morphometric characteristics were measured using digital calipers for traditional morphometrics (TM). For the geometric morphometric method (GM), 2D pictures were taken from the left side of the fresh samples, by tpsDig2 software, and 16 landmark points were defined and digitalized to extract body shape data. The data were analyzed using t-test, Mann–Whitney, principal component analysis (PCA), and discriminant function analysis based on the P-value of Hotelling's T-squared. The ratio of the common area under the graph to the total area of habitat suitability indices was defined as the ecological niche overlap. The results showed significant differences in eye diameter, predorsal, caudal peduncle length, preanal, preventral, ventral-pectoral, body depth, and caudal peduncle depth traits (P < 0.05) in TM, and those differences in the GM were related to the position of the snout, head and body depth and caudal peduncle length i.e., C. damascina had the deeper body shape and head, and anterior the snout and caudal peduncle length. Based on the results, C. damascina prefers areas with higher pH and temperature and by increasing other studied factors, its habitat suitability decreased. The preference for C. umbla with increasing river depth and DO was increased. These two species showed low niche overlap i.e., they avoid competition in their habitat by opting for different areas in terms of river width, flow velocity, and temperature that have more depth with higher slope microhabitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Identify which NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) subtest(s) best differentiate healthy controls (HC) from those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and compare the discriminant accuracy between a model using a priori "Norm Adjusted" scores versus "Unadjusted" standard scores with age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education controlled for within the model. Racial differences were also examined. Methods: Participants were Black/African American (B/AA) and White consensus-confirmed (HC = 96; aMCI = 62) adults 60–85 years old that completed the NIHTB-CB for tablet. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used in the Total Sample and separately for B/AA (n = 80) and White participants (n = 78). Results: Picture Sequence Memory (an episodic memory task) was the highest loading coefficient across all DFA models. When stratified by race, differences were noted in the pattern of the highest loading coefficients within the DFAs. However, the overall discriminant accuracy of the DFA models in identifying HCs and those with aMCI did not differ significantly by race (B/AA, White) or model/score type (Norm Adjusted versus Unadjusted). Conclusions: Racial differences were noted despite the use of normalized scores or demographic covariates—highlighting the importance of including underrepresented groups in research. While the models were fairly accurate at identifying consensus-confirmed HCs, the models proved less accurate at identifying White participants with an aMCI diagnosis. In clinical settings, further work is needed to optimize computerized batteries and the use of NIHTB-CB norm adjusted scores is recommended. In research settings, demographically corrected scores or within model correction is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sex estimation is challenging in cases where dismembered or non-intact skeletal remains are recovered. Therefore, the development of sex estimation standards using various bones that present with high recovery rates during forensic investigations, like the metatarsal bones, is needed. The usefulness of the dimensions around the metatarsal diaphyseal nutrient foramen in sex estimation has not been assessed in South African Africans (SAA), constituting the majority of the country's population. Materials and methods: Five measurements around the nutrient foramen were taken from 995 metatarsal bones (first to fifth) from 200 individual skeletons (100 males, 100 females). Measurements subjected to direct and stepwise discriminant function (DFA) and logistic regression (LRA) analyses included the total length, distance from proximal end to nutrient foramen, circumference, and mediolateral and dorsoplantar diameters at the level of the nutrient foramen. Results: The original classification accuracies for multivariable functions of the stepwise and direct DFA ranged from 75.1 to 80 % and 76–79.5 % respectively. The original classification accuracies for multivariable functions of the stepwise and direct LRA ranged from 76.3% to 79.5 % and 75%–80.5 % respectively. The cross-validation classifications showed a drop of 0–2% for DFA and 0.2–1.9 % for LRA. Overall breadth measurements showed better classification accuracies than length measurements and females were classified with higher accuracy rates than males. Conclusion: The dimensions around the nutrient foramen of the metatarsal bones show sexual dimorphism in the SAA. The generated DFA and LRA functions produced high average classification accuracies which can be appropriate for use in sex estimation in forensic settings, especially when an isolated foot is recovered.

Alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops in the world and Iran. Due to the adverse effect of drought on alfalfa yield, screening drought- tolerant genotypes is essential in breeding efforts. In the present study, 11 alfalfa ecotypes were evaluated during two years under the low-irrigation stress condition. The statistical analyzes were done on the average of two-years data. The first and second factors, respectively as "forage- quantity factor" and "forage-quality factor", explained 70.40% of the data total variance. Factor analysis showed that, the traits of fresh-forage yield, plant height, stem fresh weight and regrowth rate, had the most positive effect on dry-forage yield, respectively. Qharaghezlou ecotype with the highest dry-forage yield, and Sedghiyan ecotype, with the highest forage quality, were the most drought-tolerant and high-quality ecotypes, respectively. Ecotypes of Mohajeran and Famenein showed the lowest dry-forage yield. Ecotypes were grouped in three separate clusters. The first and third clusters were identified as "dry-forage quality" and "dry-forage quantity" cluster, respectively. These two clusters had the highest genetic distance. Correctness of cluster grouping was confirmed by the discriminant function analysis. Fresh-forage yield, dry to fresh-forage yield ratio, plant height and regrowth rate were entered into the regression model respectively, as the most important traits affecting on dry-forage yield. The traits of fresh-forage yield and dry to fresh-forage yield ratio showed the most positive direct effect on dry-forage yield. Also, plant height, through increasing fresh-forage yield, and regrowth rate, through decreasing the dry to fresh forage yield ratio, had the largest positive and negative indirect effects on dry-forage yield, respectively. According to the results, the ecotypes showed a high diversity, which suggests the use of desirable traits and superior genotypes identified for use in future alfalfa breeding programs.

The disparity in child health outcomes across Indian districts, particularly in Eastern India, is alarming. Approximately half of the districts in this region exhibit very poor child health outcomes, evidenced by alarmingly high neonatal, infant, and under‐five mortality rates. This study analyses the existing levels and patterns of child health outcomes across 112 districts of Eastern India, a region known for its low levels of child health status. To do this, we have constructed a composite child health index (CHI) using nationally representative data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS‐5). Using Principal Component Analysis, the study uses the CHI values to categorize the districts into high, moderate, and low‐performing districts. The results show a significant variation in CHI outcomes across the districts, with striking regional disparities. Notably, all high‐performing districts were located only in the state of Odisha. In contrast, a substantial proportion of the low‐performing districts were in the state of Bihar, suggesting systemic healthcare deficiencies. Using discriminant function analysis, we obtain the critical determinants of CHI to be sanitation facilities, mother's education, marriage before 18 years, and low body mass index of the mother. Our findings confirm that improvements in these areas are crucial for enhancing child health outcomes and ending intergenerational transmission of poor health outcomes. The implications of this study extend beyond eastern India, offering valuable insights into similar challenges in global low‐ and middle‐income regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological variation in Schizothorax oconnori, Schizothorax waltoni, and their natural hybrids was examined using conventional and image‐based analysis approaches. In total, 38 specimens of S. oconnori, 35 of S. waltoni, and 37 natural hybrids were collected from the Shigatse to the Lhasa section of the Yarlung Zangbo River during June and July 2021. A total of 21 morphometric, 4 meristic, and 27 truss variables were employed for the classification of S. oconnori, S. waltoni, and natural hybrids. Principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA), as well as discriminant function analysis (DFA) and cluster analysis (CA), were conducted to identify differences based on traditional and truss measurements. Four principal components explained 75.92% of the variation among the morphometric characters, while five principal components accounted for 79.69% of the variation among the truss distances. FA results showed that factor 1 was associated with head shape, and factor 2 was associated with fins based on morphometric characters. Among the truss characters, factor 1 was related to head shape, and factor 2 was related to chest shape. In DFA, morphometric measurements achieved higher accuracy (100%) compared to truss distances (94.55%). The head morphology of hybrids exhibited intermediate traits between S. oconnori and S. waltoni. Both morphometry‐based and truss‐based clustering indicated that the morphology of natural hybrids leaned toward S. oconnori. In conclusion, the combination of morphometric and truss analysis is beneficial for classifying S. oconnori, S. waltoni, and their natural hybrids. The presence of natural hybrids could be considered an evolutionary response to the differentiation of nutritional and spatial niches in the middle Yarlung Zangbo River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze the diverse morphological attributes of Kotdhar goat native to Shivalik hill region of Himachal Pradesh. A total number of 180 goats, comprising 150 females and 30 males aged between 1 and 3 years, were randomly selected to estimate15 distinct morphological traits and ten body indices. Mean values of 17.66 cm, 11.68 cm, 8.73 cm, 71.94 cm, 69.83 cm, 74.48 cm, 38.10 cm, 73.38 cm, 20.55 cm, 16.48 cm, 14.89 cm, 13.57 cm, 19.20 cm, 7.71 cm and 26.12 kg were estimated for head length, head width, face length, body length, wither height, heart girth, chest depth, rump height, rump length, rump width, haunch width, bicoastal width, shoulder width, cannon bone and body weight respectively. In addition, morphological indices viz. body index, length index, body ratio, thoracic development, pelvic index, longitudinal pelvic index, transverse pelvic index, proportionality index, dactyl thorax index and relative depth of thorax were estimated from morphological traits. Results of morphological indices indicated that Kotdhar goat are medium bodied, longilinear, tall animals and well-suited for meat production. Phenotypic correlation among most of traits was positive and significant. Among all correlations, correlation between head length and head width was found lowest (− 0.270), while the correlation between heart girth and chest depth was observed highest (0.861). Canonical discriminant function analysis showed that there was no considerable level of intermixing for morphological traits in Kotdhar goat. Employing principal component analysis with varimax rotation, three principal components were observed, accounting for 68.47% of the total variation. First principal component (PC1) encapsulated the highest proportion of variance (44.39), revealing the high loadings on head length (0.777), body length (0.747), wither height (0.782), heart girth (0.785), chest depth (0.706), rump height (0.762), haunch width (0.734) and bicoastal width (0.793). Hence, it is possible to utilize these eight variables out of the 15 morphological traits for the characterization of the Kotdhar goat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent and ephemeral channels are a critical component of the global hydrologic network. The dominant feature in dryland environments, ephemeral channel transmission loss facilitates aquifer recharge. Characterizing flow intermittency improves groundwater storage estimates; however, limited gauging of intermittent systems impedes this understanding. This research develops an improved classification for surface flow, optimized for ephemeral systems using linear discriminant function analysis and remotely sensed imagery. It further applies this methodology to assess temporal and spatial flow patterns across the Souss channel, an ungauged, ephemeral system in central Morocco. Linear discriminant function analysis demonstrates high predictive accuracy for Landsat imagery, with significantly improved classification success as compared to the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index. Application to the Souss channel from 1984 to 2022 points to a decreasing trend in flow frequency. Despite this change, flow events remain concentrated within the wet season, critical for regional aquifer recharge. Spatial flow characteristics further support sustained infiltration, with the majority of events focused within the upstream channel section during both dry and wet seasons. Decreased occurrence moving downstream highlights the likely impact of additional factors such as transmission loss, evapotranspiration, and agricultural abstraction contributing to channel intermittency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world gait analysis can aid in clinical assessments and influence related interventions, free from the restrictions of a laboratory setting. Using individual accelerometers, we aimed to use a simple machine learning method to quantify the performance of the discrimination between three self-selected cyclical locomotion types using accelerometers placed at frequently referenced attachment locations. Thirty-five participants walked along a 10 m walkway at three different speeds. Triaxial accelerometers were attached to the sacrum, thighs and shanks. Slabs of magnitude, three-second-long accelerometer data were transformed into two-dimensional Fourier spectra. Principal component analysis was undertaken for data reduction and feature selection, followed by discriminant function analysis for classification. Accuracy was quantified by calculating scalar accounting for the distances between the three centroids and the scatter of each category's cloud. The algorithm could successfully discriminate between gait modalities with 91% accuracy at the sacrum, 90% at the shanks and 87% at the thighs. Modalities were discriminated with high accuracy in all three sensor locations, where the most accurate location was the sacrum. Future research will focus on optimising the data processing of information from sensor locations that are advantageous for practical reasons, e.g., shank for prosthetic and orthotic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are excellent bioindicators and are increasingly used to assess ecosystem health and monitor changes in the environment. Due to increased awareness of the potential transmission of pathogens from bats to humans and recognizing the limitations of traditional bat sampling methods, the use of of non-invasive sampling techniques such as bat recorders were recommended for field-based monitoring studies. In the Philippines, however, bat bioacoustics is still a growing field, and the scarcity of acoustic data hinders the use of echolocation calls to conduct accurate inventories and population monitoring of echolocating bats. Here, we recorded and characterized echolocation calls of insectivorous bats from caves and karst areas located in southern Luzon Island, Philippines. In addition, we compared our results with other studies performed within and outside the country to identify possible regional and local variation in acoustic characters for some species. A total of 441 echolocation calls were recorded from six bat families: Hipposideridae (five species), Rhinolophidae (five species), Vespertilionidae (three species), Miniopteridae (two species), Megadermatidae (one species), and Emballonuridae (one species). Discriminant function analyses (DFA) with leave-one-out cross validation correctly classified bats emitting calls dominated with a constant frequency (CF) component (rhinolophids and hipposiderids) with >97% success and those producing frequency modulated (FM) calls (Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae) with 88.9% success. We report echolocation calls for Philippine population of two species (Megaderma spasma and Hipposideros lekaguli) for the first time. Moreover, we present geographical variations in call frequencies for some species by comparing previously reported acoustic data elsewhere across the species' range. This underscores the importance of establishing a readily accessible and comprehensive local reference library of echolocation calls which would serve as a valuable resource for examining taxonomic identities of echolocating bats, particularly those whose calls exhibit biogeographic variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their similar morphology and gene-flow histories, determining whether an unidentified cranium found in the Philippines is Japanese or Filipino presents a challenge. Two different analyses are undertaken. First, discriminant function (DF) analyses are applied to 295 crania using 22 measurements for distinguishing between: 1) males and females, 2) Japanese and Filipino males, and 3) Japanese and Filipino females, and 4) among four groups (Japanese males, Filipino males, Japanese females, and Filipino females). Second, a DF equation for distinguishing Japanese males and Filipino males using 173 crania and 29 measurements is introduced. In addition to being able to distinguish between Japanese and Filipino crania, this study found that seldom used cranial measurements such as simonic chord (least nasal breadth -WNB), inferior malar length (IML), and maximum malar length (XML) are influential for distinguishing between these two Asian groups. The predicted classification accuracy of DF equations from both analyses ranged from 82.0% to 93.6%. Sixty test crania for the first study and 40 for the second study maintains classification success rates between 82.0% and 93.3%. The DF equations reported in this study can be a useful initial screening tool for identifying Japanese war dead in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social animals, many primates use acoustic communication to maintain relationships. Vocal individuality has been documented in a diverse range of primate species and call types, many of which have presumably different functions. Auditory recognition of ones neighbors may confer a selective advantage if identifying conspecifics decreases the need to participate in costly territorial behaviors. Alternatively, vocal individuality may be nonadaptive and the result of a unique combination of genetics and environment. Pair-bonded primates, in particular, often participate in coordinated vocal duets that can be heard over long distances by neighboring conspecifics. In contrast to adult calls, infant vocalizations are short-range and used for intragroup communication. Here, we provide two separate but complementary analyses of vocal individuality in distinct call types of coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) to test whether individuality occurs in call types from animals of different age classes with presumably different functions. We analyzed 600 trill vocalizations from 30 infants and 169 pulse-chirp duet vocalizations from 30 adult titi monkeys. We predicted that duet contributions would exhibit a higher degree of individuality than infant trills, given their assumed function for long-distance, intergroup communication. We estimated 7 features from infant trills and 16 features from spectrograms of adult pulse-chirps, then used discriminant function analysis with leave-one-out cross-validation to classify individuals. We correctly classified infants with 48% accuracy and adults with 83% accuracy. To further investigate variance in call features, we used a multivariate variance components model to estimate variance partitioning in features across two levels: within- and between-individuals. Between-individual variance was the most important source of variance for all features in adults, and three of four features in infants. We show that pulse-chirps of adult titi monkey duets are individually distinct, and infant trills are less individually distinct, which may be due to the different functions of the vocalizations.

Palm prints are one of the most important forensic tools for human identification in medico-legal investigation. Palm prints are often used for forensic sex estimation to narrow down the pool of suspects through a process of elimination. The aim of this study was to test whether a novel approach of sex estimation from palmar inter-triradial distances previously posited by Badiye and colleagues [Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2019; 65(March):22–26] can be used as a primary tool for forensic sexing. For this study the bilateral palm prints from 200 Bengali Hindu adults (100 male, 100 female) were collected using traditional ink printing method and were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented in tables and linear discriminant analysis was conducted to estimate the extent of sexual dimorphism in the inter-triradial distances and to find out variables with the strongest sex discriminating potential. Binary logistic regression analysis (BLR) was performed to derive sex estimation equations. Sexual dimorphism has been found to be statistically significant (p< 0.001) using linear discriminant analysis with a sexing accuracy of 79.0 percent for the left and 79.5 percent for the right palm. Distance between a and t triradius has been found to be the most influential on this model followed by the combined abcd-t distance. For the BLR analysis, the correct classification percentage was found to be the highest on the a-t distance of the right palm with a success rate of 80.5 percent which is closely followed by the combined abcd-t distance which has a classification success rate of 80.0 percent for the right palm. The present study has concluded that, inter-triradial distance of the palm is fairly dimorphic sexually but can only be used as a supplementary tool in inference of sex for medico-legal investigation. Due to a higher accuracy, the distance between a and t triradius has been proposed to be used instead of combined abcd-t distance which was suggested in the original study conducted by Badiye and colleagues (2019).

Introduction Heavy metals especially cadmium (Cd), with potential toxicity and injurious effects for plants and humans, are one of the most important abiotic stresses for crop plants such as maize which lead to a considerable reduction in the crops production in developing countries including Iran. Therefore, assessing genetic diversity for Cd stress tolerance, as one of the basic principles of plant adaptation to abiotic stresses, is very important. In this regard, the present study was carried out to evaluate the genetic diversity of maize pure lines and hybrids based on important agronomic traits associated with grain yield under non-stress and Cd stress environmental conditions. The results of this research can be useful for maize breeders in identifying suitable parental genotypes for maize breeding programs to develop high-yielding and Cd stress-tolerant genotypes in regions contaminated to this heavy metal. Materials and methods In this study, 95 maize genotypes comprising pure lines and hybrids, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications under two non-stress and Cd stress conditions. The experiment was performed in a pot experiment in an open area of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station of Jiroft, Kerman province, Iran, in two cropping seasons, 2020-21 and 2021-22. Under Cd stress conditions, cadmium chloride solution (CdCl2.2H2O) with a concentration of 30 mg.L −1 was applied at two important stages of maize plant growth, including sixleaf stage (Code 16 in Zadoks scale) and the appearance of first male flowers (Code 50 in Zadoks scale). The measured traits included 24 different phenological, morphological, and agronomic traits. Grouping of maize genotypes in term of the studied traits was performed using cluster analysis based on Ward’s minimum variance method, and discriminant function analysis was used to confirm and validate the results of cluster analysis. Research findings The results of this study indicated that there was an extensive genetic diversity among the studied maize genotypes for most of the studied traits, especially for grain yield and its components under non-stress and Cd stress conditions. Cluster analysis grouped the maize genotypes into four separate clusters with accuracy probabilities of 91.6% and 97.9% under non-stress and Cd stress conditions, respectively. Comparison of means between these four groups showed that under non-stress conditions, 41 and 24 genotypes in the third and fourth groups were the high yielding genotypes of this experiment, respectively. Under Cd stress conditions, 49 genotypes with the higher grain yield and yield components in the second and third groups (such as Ma002, Ma003, Ma004, Ma005, and Ma007) were identified as Cd-tolerant genotypes. These genotypes mainly showed short to medium phenological periods. Also, 11 genotypes (Ma001, Ma008, Ma030, Ma033, Ma036, Ma039, Ma042, Ma045, Ma072, and Ma089), indicated the lowest means for important agronomic traits including yield and its components under both non-stress and Cd-stress conditions. These genotypes were unable to tolerate Cd stress under the conditions of this experiment and were identified as sensitive genotypes. Conclusion The present study led to the identification of 40 tolerant maize genotypes to Cd stress (such as Ma003, Ma005, Ma007, Ma013, Ma014, and Ma015). These genotypes in addition to exhibiting desirable yield and yield components under non-stress environment, also showed suitable yield under Cd stress conditions. Therefore, by carefully selecting the parents among Cd-tolerant genotypes and carrying out targeted crosses between them, it is possible to obtain suitable hybrids for cultivation in Cd-stressed environments by exploiting genetic phenomena such as transgressive segregation and heterosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to analyze the gender dimorphism in odontometrics of permanent maxillary canines using a three-dimensional digital method and to test the accuracy in gender estimation using discriminant function analysis in a sample of the Saudi population. A total of 120 diagnostic dental casts of patients aged 16–29 years were used in the present study. Plaster models of their maxillary dentition obtained from the archives were scanned and digitally measured using a three-dimensional digital method. The mesiodistal width of the right and left maxillary canines and intercanine distance were measured. Gender dimorphism was established using the Garn method. Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test and discriminant analyses. Males showed larger mean dimensions of canines than females with regard to both mesiodistal width and intercanine distance, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The right maxillary canine mesiodistal width showed a higher percentage of gender dimorphism (3.5%). Discriminant function analysis showed that the overall accuracy of gender prediction was 80.5% for the multivariate analysis. The univariate discriminant function equation revealed that intercanine distance was the most accurate predictor of gender (78%), followed by the right canine mesiodistal width (76.3%). The use of three-dimensional technology for odontometrics presents a promising method, and permanent maxillary canine parameters can be used as an acceptable ancillary tool for gender estimation in forensic science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative learning in physical education classes is perceived as beneficial. The aim of this article was to examine whether field studies that include cooperative learning in their physical education intervention programs provide applicable data—to allow teachers to choose the optimal teaching strategy in line with their teaching goals. A systematic review of 44 research studies, published between 2000 and 2020, was conducted. Data related to teaching strategies and outcomes were compiled and discriminant function analysis was conducted, to classify the articles according to positive outcomes reported/not reported. Our results suggest a partial association between a range of cooperative teaching strategies (including Jigsaw, Learning Team, Complex, and Complex Instruction, as well as the cooperative learning model and combined strategies) and learning outcomes in four domains (social, physical, affective, and cognitive). Our literature review reveals that while the published data is valuable, additional research is needed to complete the picture.

Based on usage-based constructionist approaches to language development, this study investigates the validity of constructional complexity as a predictor of writing proficiency of Korean EFL learners. We analyzed argumentative essays produced by Korean EFL learners and compared a prediction model that uses English argument structure constructions with a conventional T-unit-based model. We first tested the predictive power of a discriminant function model with argument structure constructions as predictors for assessing writing proficiency of lower- and higher-level learners. We then compared the construction-based model to another model that included T-unit measures as predictors. The results validated the contribution of argument structure constructions for predicting L2 writing proficiency: The construction-based model yielded higher prediction accuracy than the T-unit-based model did, confirming that constructional complexity is closely aligned with writing proficiency. These findings demonstrate the significance of a construction-based model as a reliable tool for diagnosing EFL learners' writing proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helping those who have experienced trauma exposes the helpers to secondary traumatization. The mechanisms of its development are most often explained using the cognitive model of trauma processing. The aim of the research is to determine how disturbances of core beliefs and cognitive processing in the form of coping with stress are associated with secondary traumatic stress (STS) and secondary posttraumatic growth (SPTG). The study was conducted among psychologists and social workers (N = 240), working with people after traumatic experiences. Four standardized measurement tools were used. Based on the differential diagnosis, four types of consequences were identified. Discriminant analysis was used to establish the optimal configuration of predictors explaining the differences between the four subgroups. Two significant discriminant functions were significant, each identifies different beliefs and coping strategies. The first is associated with the disruptions of core beliefs about the world and cognitive processing in the form of a non-adaptive strategy; the second--with disturbed beliefs about oneself and adaptation strategies. Our results show a much greater exposure of social workers to the negative consequences of secondary traumatic stress disorder. A system of constant monitoring should be introduced, and the principles of prevention and therapy should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the body shape and morphological comparison between the populations of wild (marine) and farmed common carp using geometric morphology. For this purpose, 65 pieces of fish including 23 wild common carp and 42 farmed common carp were sampled. The samples were then photographed and 16 landmarks were identified on the images. Procrast analysis was used in order to remove the amorphous data from coordinate landmarks. Principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant function analysis (DFA) tests were used. The results showed that the two populations of wild and farmed common carp are completely separated from each other using PCA and the first three components accounted for about 64.41% of the total changes. Based on DFA for morphometric characteristics, individuals were correctly placed in their original population. The results of this study showed a significant difference in body depth and body width of wild and farmed common carp using geometric morphometric method, so that the farmed common carp had deeper body (related to the displacement of landmarks 5 and 12), a wider body (related to the displacement of landmarks 5,6,10,11 and 12) and also a shorter tail stem (related to the displacement of landmarks 6, 7, 9 and 10) than wild common carp.

Draining into the northern Baltic Sea, River Simojoki is an important spawning river for Atlantic salmon. The present study aimed to preliminary explore the potential of analysing the elemental composition of otoliths to distinguish the within-river nursery area of origin for salmon. Parr were sampled at three nursery areas in the river and smolts of unknown origin were sampled near the river mouth during the migration to the sea. The concentrations of multiple elements and the strontium 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratio in the otoliths were analysed using single- and multi-collector laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. Based on the otolith elemental variables, parr could be reclassified to the sampled nursery areas using discriminant function analysis and random forest with a success rate of 53.3% and 63.3%, respectively. However, for parr sampled at the uppermost nursery area in the river, the success rates were 90% and 100%, respectively. Applying the classification models trained on the parr samples to determine which nursery area sampled smolt originated from was constrained by the limited sampling of parr, both in sample sizes and the coverage of the nursery areas found in the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lutjanus commonly known as snappers are economical fishes in the world, including in Indonesia. They have high morphological similarities and are difficult to distinguish. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the taxonomic status and kinship of four dominant snappers harvested from the northern coastal waters of Aceh, Indonesia, namely Lutjanus bengalensis, Lutjanus kasmira, Lutjanus gibbus , and Lutjanus fulviflamma. The samples were collected from Pulo Aceh and Lampulo fish landings. A total of 60 samples of each species were used for morphometric analysis using the traditional morphometric approach, while five from each of them served as samples for the genetic analysis with the COI gene. Morphological analysis showed that the four fish species were categorized into 3 different groups, where L. bengalensis and L. kasmira were in the same group. The genetic analysis revealed that they were grouped into four different clades, but L. bengalensis and L. kasmira were located in the same sister clade, indicating genetic closeness. L. bengalensis , L. kasmira, L. gibbus, and L. fulviflamma had two, three, three, and four haplotypes, respectively. Based on the results, the COI gene successfully distinguished the four species of snapper, where L. bengalensis and L. kasmira had morphological and genetic similarities. Furthermore, L. fulviflamma had higher genetic diversity than the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm prints are one of the most important forensic tools for human identification in medico-legal investigation. Palm prints are often used for forensic sex estimation to narrow down the pool of suspects through a process of elimination. The aim of this study was to test whether a novel approach of sex estimation from palmar inter-triradial distances previously posited by Badiye and colleagues [Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2019; 65(March):22–26] can be used as a primary tool for forensic sexing. For this study the bilateral palm prints from 200 Bengali Hindu adults (100 male, 100 female) were collected using traditional ink printing method and were analysed. Descriptive statistics were presented in tables and linear discriminant analysis was conducted to estimate the extent of sexual dimorphism in the inter-triradial distances and to find out variables with the strongest sex discriminating potential. Binary logistic regression analysis (BLR) was performed to derive sex estimation equations. Sexual dimorphism has been found to be statistically significant (p< 0.001) using linear discriminant analysis with a sexing accuracy of 79.0 percent for the left and 79.5 percent for the right palm. Distance between a and t triradius has been found to be the most influential on this model followed by the combined abcd-t distance. For the BLR analysis, the correct classification percentage was found to be the highest on the a-t distance of the right palm with a success rate of 80.5 percent which is closely followed by the combined abcd-t distance which has a classification success rate of 80.0 percent for the right palm. The present study has concluded that, inter-triradial distance of the palm is fairly dimorphic sexually but can only be used as a supplementary tool in inference of sex for medico-legal investigation. Due to a higher accuracy, the distance between a and t triradius has been proposed to be used instead of combined abcd-t distance which was suggested in the original study conducted by Badiye and colleagues (2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Veterinaria is the property of University of Sarajevo, Veterinary Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Long bone ecomorphology has proven effective for paleohabitat reconstructions across a wide range of mammalian clades. Still, there is no comprehensive framework to allow interpretation of long bone morphological variation within and between different monophyletic groups. Here, we investigated the use of humerus morphometry to classify living members of the orders Carnivora and ungulates based on their preferred habitats. Using geometric morphometrics, we extracted three different kinds of humerus shape data describing interspecific variation with and without accounting for evolutionary allometry and phylogenetic signal. The traditional a priori categorization of species in open, mixed, and closed habitats was employed in combination with selected subsets of shape variables to identify the best-predictive models for habitat adaptation. These were identified based on the statistical performance of phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic discriminant analyses and then applied to predict habitats on a subsample of fossil species. Size-free shape data combined with phylogenetic discriminant analyses showed the highest rate of accuracy in habitat classification for a combined sample of carnivorans and ungulates. Conversely, when the two groups were investigated separately, traditional shape data analyzed with phylogenetic discriminant function analyses provided models with the greatest predictive power. By combining carnivorans and ungulates within the same methodological framework we identified common adaptive features in closed habitat-adapted species that show compressed epiphyses, while open habitat-adapted species have expanded epiphyses. These morphologies evolved to allow significant degree of direction switches during locomotion in closed habitats compared to open habitat-adapted species whose forelimb joints evolved to stabilize articulations for increasing speed., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

Atta Mouludi-Saleh1, Soheil Eagderi1, Keyvan Abbasi2 & Manoochehr Nasri3 1Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran; 2Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran; 3Department of Fisheries Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran Correspondent author: Soheil Eagderi, soheil.eagderi@ut.ac.ir Abstract: Due to the presence of taxonomic ambiguity regarding Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae and the tendency to treat them as synonyms of each other, this study was conducted to validate these two species by comparing their morphometric and meristic characters in the Mahabad-Chai River, Urmia Lake basin. A total of 64 specimens of P. ulanus and 68 specimens of A. atropatenae were sampled and were then investigated for 17 morphometric and 7 meristic characters. Measurements were standardized to eliminate the effects of size due to allometric growth pattern, then their normality and abnormality were examined. Standardized data were analyzed using t-test, Mann-Whitney, principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminative function analysis based on P-value of Hotelling's t-test (DFA/Hotelling's T-test) methods. The results showed that the two species were significantly different in 11 morphometric and 2 meristic traits (P

Purpose: Identification of sex of unknown people becomes important in situations of mass disaster. Previous studies have shown that morphological characteristic of frontal sinus is distinctive to particular individual and hence, literature suggests that it can be used in establishing identification of a person. However, few researches have concluded that, its use in determining sexual dimorphism is limited. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate frontal sinus index using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and differentiate sex dimorphism based on the index obtained. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was undertaken using three-dimensional-CBCT scans. By simple random sampling method, 150 scans were selected, out of which 74 were of male and 76 were of female within the age group of 20–64 years. The frontal sinus width and the height were measured, and the ratio was taken as frontal sinus index. This index was correlated to the differentiation of sex. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and sex dimorphism was assessed using discriminant function analysis. Results: The mean height of the frontal sinus in both males and females was 30.12 ± 7.6 mm and 30.14 ± 7.8 mm, respectively. The mean width of frontal sinus in males (13.39 ± 3.6 mm) was slightly more than that of females (12.06 ± 3 mm). Conclusion: The parameter frontal sinus index measured using CBCT was found to be a contributing factor in sex determination in forensic identification within the sample population.

Discriminant function analysis has been used for forecasting of Sugarcane yield of Coimbatore district in Tamilnadu. Crop yield has been classified into two and three groups. Using this crop yield and monthly data on weather variables,discriminant function analysis has been carried out. The scores calculated from function this along with the trend have used as regressors in developing yield forecast models. The forecast models based on two groups and groups have been compared. The results show that the forecast models using three groupsare considered to be better.

Divergent life histories by sex are common within species of birds; thus, the ability to accurately determine sex is essential in many studies of avian ecology and can possibly lead to more effective conservation strategies. However, sex determination can be difficult in species not displaying dimorphic plumage, including most raptors, and size dimorphism has limited use during observations but is promising for determining sex of raptors in hand. The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), known for its long-distance migrations between North and South America, has yet to be examined for morphometric variation across its wide range. We analyzed body mass, wing chord, and tail length data for 119 adult Broad-winged Hawks captured in eastern North America during the breeding seasons from 1974 to 2020. We found that adult female Broad-winged Hawks were larger than adult males overall. Hawks from Wisconsin were larger than hawks from Pennsylvania and Maryland, and hawks from Ontario were larger than those from other populations, suggesting geographic variation in size. Using linear discriminant analysis, we showed that it was possible to determine sex of adults with 99% accuracy in Wisconsin populations using only body mass as a predictor, and 100% accuracy in Pennsylvania and Maryland populations using body mass, wing chord, and tail length as predictors. Morphometric measurements combined with discriminant function analysis proved useful in discerning sex of breeding-season Broad-winged Hawks, and results of this study can guide researchers working in similar regions. We encourage researchers to collect body measurements for this species and other monomorphic raptors to further inform sex determination. Las historias de vida divergentes según el sexo son comunes en aves, por lo que la capacidad de determinar con precisión el sexo es esencial en muchos estudios de ecología aviar y posiblemente puede conducir a estrategias de conservación más efectivas. Sin embargo, la determinación del sexo puede ser difícil en especies que no muestran dimorfismo de plumaje, incluida la mayoría de las aves rapaces, y el dimorfismo de tamaño tiene un uso limitado durante las observaciones, pero es prometedor para determinar el sexo de las aves rapaces en la mano. Buteo platypterus, conocido por sus migraciones de larga distancia entre América del Norte y América del Sur, aún debe ser estudiado para determinar la variación morfométrica a lo largo de su amplia área de distribución. Analizamos los datos de masa corporal, cuerda alar y longitud de la cola de 119 individuos de B. platypterus capturados en el este de América del Norte durante las temporadas reproductivas de 1974 a 2020. Encontramos que, en general, las hembras adultas de B. platypterus eran más grandes que los machos adultos. Los individuos de Wisconsin eran más grandes que los de Pensilvania y Maryland, y los individuos de Ontario eran más grandes que los de otras poblaciones, lo que sugiere una variación geográfica en tamaño. Usando un análisis discriminante lineal, mostramos que era posible determinar el sexo de los adultos con un 99% de precisión en las poblaciones de Wisconsin usando solo la masa corporal como predictor, y con un 100% de precisión en las poblaciones de Pensilvania y Maryland usando la masa corporal, la cuerda alar y la longitud de la cola como predictores. Las mediciones morfométricas combinadas con análisis de función discriminante demostraron ser útiles para discernir el sexo de B. platypterus en la temporada reproductiva, y los resultados de este estudio pueden guiar a los investigadores que trabajan en regiones similares. Alentamos a los investigadores a recopilar medidas corporales de esta especie y de otras rapaces monomórficas para avanzar en la determinación del sexo. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the potential incorporation of Sentinel-2A imagery for rock unit determination in the Croatian karst region dominated by carbonate rocks. The various lithological units are potential sources of both stone aggregates and dimension stone, and their spatial distribution is of high importance for mineral resource management. The presented approach included the preprocessing and processing of existing analog data (geological maps), Sentinel-2A satellite images and the United States Geological Survey spectral indices, all in combination with ground truth data. Geological mapping and digital processing of legacy maps using the K-means and random forest algorithm reduced the spatial error of the geometry of geological boundaries from 100 m and 300 m to below 100 m. The possibility of discriminating individual lithological units based on spectral analysis and discriminant function analysis was also examined, providing a tool for evaluating the geological potential for mineral resources. Despite the challenges posed by the lithological homogeneity of karst terrain, the results of this study show that the use of spectral signature data derived from Sentinel-2A satellite images can be successfully implemented in such terrains for the enhancement of existing geological maps and mineral resources exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity is essential for the development of more efficient plant types. In the present study, 529 chickpea accessions were evaluated for their agronomic performance, genetic divergence and identification of promising accessions through the use of a simple lattice design. These accessions varied widely in all agronomic traits. The first three principal components (PCs) explained 78.35% variation. The PC1 and PC2 explained 38.05 and 24.30% of total variations. Three traits namely, branches per plant, pods per plant and seed yield per plant contributed to maximum variation. The hierarchical clustering analysis carried out on PCs grouped the accessions into eight clusters. Among 127 selection indices formulated, higher relative efficiency (422.52%) coupled with high genetic advance (34.31%) was exhibited by the combination involving six characters. Based on the index score of greater than 100, 15 genotypes were promising for improving the grain yield. The results of both PC analysis (PCA) and selection indices suggested that branches per plant, pods per plant and 100-seed test weight traits have to be considered for any genetic yield gains. Both the techniques (PCA and selection indices) identified three genotypes (GAG 0733, IC 268988 and IC 269031) as the best performers, suggesting that the two techniques are equally efficient in the identification of superior germplasm that can be used in chickpea hybridization programmes for yield improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-career is a time when work orientation (i.e., viewing ones' work as a job, a career, or a calling) comes into sharper focus. Using Wrzeniewski et al.'s tripartite model, we conducted a discriminant function analysis to determine the combination of variables that best discriminates among people who are aligned with a job, a career, or a calling orientation in a sample of 251 full-time, North American mid-career employees. Compared to those who approach work as a job, those with a calling orientation were more engaged in work. The career-oriented stood apart from the others as a function of shorter job tenure, greater turnover intentions, work engagement, career satisfaction, and a tendency to engage in career self-comparisons. Work-orientation groups did not differ significantly in terms of family centrality, work–life balance, life satisfaction, or well-being. The results suggest that the work orientations represent distinct and equally valid ways to approach work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to analyze the gender dimorphism in odontometrics of permanent maxillary canines using a three-dimensional digital method and to test the accuracy in gender estimation using discriminant function analysis in a sample of the Saudi population. A total of 120 diagnostic dental casts of patients aged 16–29 years were used in the present study. Plaster models of their maxillary dentition obtained from the archives were scanned and digitally measured using a three-dimensional digital method. The mesiodistal width of the right and left maxillary canines and intercanine distance were measured. Gender dimorphism was established using the Garn method. Data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test and discriminant analyses. Males showed larger mean dimensions of canines than females with regard to both mesiodistal width and intercanine distance, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The right maxillary canine mesiodistal width showed a higher percentage of gender dimorphism (3.5%). Discriminant function analysis showed that the overall accuracy of gender prediction was 80.5% for the multivariate analysis. The univariate discriminant function equation revealed that intercanine distance was the most accurate predictor of gender (78%), followed by the right canine mesiodistal width (76.3%). The use of three-dimensional technology for odontometrics presents a promising method, and permanent maxillary canine parameters can be used as an acceptable ancillary tool for gender estimation in forensic science.

Findings from data originating in individualist Western cultures, such as the US, generally confirm a significant relation between parental rejection and substance use. However, little is known about individuals raised in patriarchal, collectivist, and predominantly religious non-Western societies. To build on prior research, we drew from Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) to examine relations among parental (maternal and paternal) rejection, psychological maladjustment, and substance use disorder (SUD) in a sample of 960 young adult men in Pakistan. We used MANCOVAs and discriminant function analysis to compare 480 young men diagnosed with SUD with 480 young men without SUD on their memories of parental acceptance and rejection in childhood and on their current level of self-reported psychological maladjustment via the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Results showed that remembered paternal (but not maternal) rejection, and rejection-related psychological maladjustment were significantly associated with SUD, F(3, 953) = 1140.39, p < 0.001, λ = 0.218, η2 = 0.782. These two predictors distinguished men with SUD from men with lifelong abstinence with 97.3% accuracy. These results highlight the importance in Pakistan of memories of paternal (versus maternal) rejection, along with the specific form of psychological maladjustment known to be transculturally associated with parental rejection in the etiology of substance abuse. Highlights: Little is known about the relation between parental rejection and substance abuse outside of Western cultures. This study examined that relation in a patriarchal, collectivist, and predominantly Muslim culture. Fathers' rejection and psychological maladjustment distinguished with 97.3% accuracy substance abusing men from men with lifelong abstinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dokha is a tobacco product commonly used in Middle Eastern and Northern African regions. It is available in three blends purportedly corresponding to the degree of "buzz" experienced by the user. The "buzz" has been linked in part to nicotine levels, which are higher than those found in cigarettes and is believed to be the reason dokha is abused as a "legal high." There have been reports of seizure activity from dokha users, and elevated concentrations of toxic metals have been measured in dokha tobacco. The purpose of this work was to determine whether we could use dokha's elemental content, measured by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, to link dokha back to its brand. This could aid investigators in identifying brands and/or distribution routes in the case of adverse effects resulting from dokha use. We measured the concentrations of Mg, K, Mn, Ni, Cu, Rb, Sr, and Ba in Medwakh, Nirvana, Scorpion, Enjoy, Kingdom, and Iconic dokha brands. Analysis of variance revealed statistical differences in concentrations of elements among groups. Discriminant function analysis (using leave‐one‐out classification) was 58.3% successful at differentiating brands. Enjoy dokha was the most, and Kingdom dokha the least, correctly classified among groups. Attempts to further link dokha blends back to light, medium, and heavy blends were less successful. These results indicate potential for using elemental content to discriminate among dokha brands. Our data may also help to understand the degree of additional processing and/or adulteration of dokha products available to users in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex determination of birds is essential for ecological studies, but visually distinguishing the sex of monomorphic birds in the field is challenging. We investigated intersexual morphological differences in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus saturatus), which is known as a sexually monomorphic species. We caught 198 adult Eurasian Tree Sparrows (104 males and 94 females), collected data on their morphological characteristics, and determined their sex using polymerase chain reaction to amplify sex-chromosome-linked CHD gene introns. Wing length was longer in males than in females, and badge sizes were significantly larger in males. Discriminant function analysis using badge size and wing length classified sex with an accuracy of 86.9%. In accordance with a previous paper, our study considers that the sex of Eurasian Tree Sparrows can be distinguished with reasonable accuracy by the badge size and wing length in wild populations. La determinación del sexo de las aves es esencial en estudios ecológicos, pero la determinación visual del sexo en aves monomórficas en campo es un reto. Investigamos diferencias morfológicas intersexuales en el gorrión molinero eurasiático (Passer montanus saturatus), que es conocido como una especie sexualmente monomórfica. Capturamos 198 gorriones molineros eurasiáticos adultos (104 machos y 94 hembras), tomamos datos de sus características morfológicas y determinamos su sexo usando reacción en cadena de polimerasa para amplificar los intrones del gen CHD ligados al cromosoma sexual. La longitud del ala era mayor en machos que en hembras y los tamaños de las manchas eran significativamente mayores en machos que en hembras. Un análisis de función discriminante usando tamaño de las manchas y longitud del ala clasificó el sexo con una precisión de 86.9%. Tal y como se dijo en un artículo anterior, nuestro estudio considera que el sexo de los gorriones molineros eurasiáticos puede ser distinguido con una precisión razonable utilizando el tamaño de la mancha y la longitud del ala en poblaciones silvestres. Palabras clave: análisis de función discriminante, determinación de sexo, intrón del gen CHD, longitud de ala, monomorfismo, tamaño de mancha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five species of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterobacter cloacae were deposited from suspensions of various titers onto disposable nitrocellulose filter media for analysis by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Bacteria were concentrated and isolated in the center of the filter media during centrifugation using a simple and convenient sample preparation step. Summing all the single-shot LIBS spectra acquired from a given bacterial deposition provided perfectly sensitive and specific discrimination from sterile water control specimens in a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Use of the single-shot spectra provided only a 0.87 and 0.72 sensitivity and specificity, respectively. To increase the statistical validity of chemometric analyses, a library of pseudodata was created by adding Gaussian noise to the measured intensity of every emission line in an averaged spectrum of each bacterium. The normally distributed pseudodata, consisting of 4995 spectra, were used to compare the performance of the PLS-DA with a discriminant function analysis (DFA) and an artificial neural network (ANN). For the highly similar bacterial data, no algorithm showed significantly superior performance, although the PLS-DA performed least accurately with a classification error of 0.21 compared to 0.16 and 0.17 for ANN and DFA, respectively. Single-shot LIBS spectra from all of the bacterial species were classified in a DFA model tested with a tenfold cross-validation. Classification errors ranging from 20% to 31% were measured due to repeatability limitations in the single-shot data. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]