Search

11 Pág., Climate change and land-use changes are the main drivers altering fire regimes and leading to the occurrence of megafires. Current management policies mainly focus on short-term restoration without considering how climate change might affect regeneration dynamics. We aimed to test the usefulness of ecological niche models (ENMs) to integrate the effects of climate change on tree species distributions into post-fire restoration planning. We also examined different important conceptual and methodological aspects during this novel process. We constructed ENM at fine spatial resolution (25 m) for the four main tree species (Pinus pinaster, Quercus pyrenaica, Q. faginea and Q. ilex) in an area affected by a megafire in Central Spain at two scales (local and regional), two periods (2 and 14 years after the fire) at the local scale, and under two future climate change scenarios. The usefulness of ENMs as support tools in decision-making for post-fire management was confirmed for the first time. As hypothesized, models developed at both scales are different, since they represent different scale dependent drivers of species distribution patterns. However, both provide objective information to be considered by stakeholders in combination with other sources of information. Local models generated with vegetation data 14 years after the fire provided valuable information about local and current vegetation dynamics (i.e., current microecology spatial niche prediction). Regional models are capable of considering a higher proportion of the climatic niche of species to generate reliable climate change forecasts (i.e., future macroclimate spatial niche forecast). The use of precise ENMs provide both an objective interpretation of potential habitat conditions and the opportunity of examining vegetation patches, that can be very valuable in managing restoration of areas affected by megafires under climate change conditions., This publication is part of the R&D&I projects PID2020-116494RR-C41 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/, VIS4FIRE (RTA2017-00042-C05-01), FORESTCHANGE (AGL2016-76769-C2-1-R) and CONGESTION (PID2020-119204RB-C21). Cristina Carrillo was financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the European Social Fund and the State Research Agency through the pre-doctoral aid programme (PRE2018).

Objective This study aims to explore psychologists' attitudes towards the use of video conferencing technology (VCT) to deliver therapy. Method Participants (N = 12) were recruited via opportunistic sampling either via the Australian Psychological Society website or social media. Participants (three males and nine females) were located in Queensland. They were aged between 23 and 50-years of age (mean age = 32.91, SD = 9.36), held varying levels of experience in psychology (

High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and was identified as the most significant single preventable cause of mortality. The prevalence of hypertension in Saudi Arabia is high. To raise awareness and identify undiagnosed hypertension, the Saudi Ministry of Health participated in the May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 global screening initiative of the International Society of Hypertension. Ninety-two primary care centres across the Kingdom recruited respondents aged ≥18 years through opportunistic sampling, from 1 May to 30 August of 2019. Data collection included sociodemographic, lifestyle habits, environmental, and anthropometric indicators. Blood pressure was measured twice using automated BP devices. A total of 25 023 adults were screened with a mean age of 42.4 (16.7) years and a mean body mass index of 27.5 (6.0) kg/m2. In total, 43.6% of participants were females and 56.4% were males. Of all the participants with hypertension, 60.8% were aware, 60.8% were on antihypertensive medication, and 39.3% had controlled BP (systolic BP

May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global blood pressure (BP) screening campaign aimed at obtaining standardized BP measurements and other relevant health information from members of the community to increase awareness of elevated BP and the associated risks. Adults (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling across the various Australian states during May 2019. Three BP readings were recorded in a standardized manner for each participant, and data on lifestyle factors and comorbidities were collected. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg, or a diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg (according to the MMM protocol) or taking antihypertensive medication. Multiple imputation was used to estimate participants’ mean BP where three readings were not available. Of the 2877 participants, 901 (31.3%) had hypertension of whom 455 (50.5%) were aware of their condition, and 366 (40.6%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those taking antihypertensive medication, 54.3% were controlled to

Researchers frequently use focal individual sampling to study primate communication. Recent studies of primate gestures have shown that opportunistic sampling offers benefits not found in focal individual sampling, such as the collection of larger sample sizes. What is not known is whether the opportunistic method is biased towards certain signal types or signalers. Our goal was to assess the validity of the opportunistic method by comparing focal individual sampling to opportunistic sampling of facial and gestural communication in a group of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). We compared: (1) the number of observed facial and gestural signals per signal type and (2) the number of observed facial and gestural signals produced by each signaler. Both methods identified facial signals, gesture signals, and gesture signalers at similar relative rates, but the opportunistic sampling method yielded a more even distribution of signalers and signal types than the focal individual sampling method. In addition, the opportunistic sampling method resulted in larger sample sizes for both facial and gestural communication. However, the opportunistic method did not allow us to calculate the signals per time for each individual, which is easily done with the focal individual method. These results suggest that the opportunistic sampling method is (1) comparable to the focal individual sampling method in multiple important measures, (2) associated with additional sampling benefits, and (3) limited in measuring some variables. Thus, we recommend that future studies use a mixed-methods approach, as focal individual and opportunistic sampling have distinct strengths that complement each other’s limitations.

In Zambia, hypertension accounts for the highest proportion of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases causing 3.3% of all deaths, killing an average of 670 people per year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global screening campaign aiming to improve awareness of blood pressure (BP) at the individual and population level. Adults (≥18 years) recruited through opportunistic sampling were screened at multiple sites within Lusaka during May and June 2019. Ideally, three BP readings were measured for each participant, and data on lifestyle factors and comorbidities were collected. Data were analysed centrally by the MMM project team and multiple imputations were performed where necessary. Of the total of 9232 enrolled, 8.7% of them had never had their BP measured, 2.5% had diabetes mellitus, 1.9% had had a myocardial infarction, 1.5% had had a stroke, 10.6% were current smokers, and 10.0% consumed alcohol once or more per week. Blood pressure fell from a mean of 128.6/82.9 mmHg for the 1st reading to a mean of 123.2/80.0 mmHg for the 3rd reading. The lowest proportion of participants with hypertension was identified by the 3rd reading alone (30.0%). Of all the participants, 30.7% had hypertension, though only 42.6% of them were aware of their diagnosis. Seven hundred and eighty-three (27.6%) were on antihypertensive medication though only 35.0% of them had controlled BP (systolic BP

Hypertension continues to be the top global killer, contributing to over 10 million deaths annually. As prevalence and unawareness of hypertension remain high in Malaysia, this study was aimed to screen more individuals to identify those with undiagnosed hypertension. Respondents aged ≥18 years were recruited through opportunistic sampling at various screening sites including health clinics, hospitals, student health centres, universities, community halls, shopping malls, as well as through other health screening campaigns. Each respondent completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic, environmental, and lifestyle data. Anthropometric measurements as well as three blood pressure (BP) measurements were obtained from all participants. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medication. The total number of participants was 4866. The mean age of the participants was 39.8 (17.6) years with 61.1% female participants. Of the 4866 participants, 1405 (28.9%) had hypertension. The proportion of those aware of their hypertension status was 76.3% (1073/1405). The proportion of those with hypertension on medication was 71% (998/1405). Of those receiving antihypertensive treatment, 62.4% (623/998) had controlled BP. The proportion of hypertension in this study was 28.9%. The awareness rate of 76.3% compares favourably to a previously reported national level of 43.2%. Hence, BP screening programmes may be effective at increasing awareness and should be conducted annually.

Elevated blood pressure remains the single biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and mortality. May Measurement Month is an annual global screening campaign aiming to improve awareness of blood pressure at the individual and population level. Adults ({greater than or equal to}18 years) recruited through opportunistic sampling were screened at sites in 92 countries during May 2019. Ideally three blood pressure readings were measured for each participant, and data on lifestyle factors and co-morbidities were collected. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP {greater than or equal to} 140 mmHg, and/or a diastolic BP {greater than or equal to} 90 mmHg (mean of the second and third readings) or taking antihypertensive medication. When necessary, multiple imputation was used to estimate participants' mean blood pressure. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate associations between blood pressure and participant characteristics. Of 1,508,130 screenees 482,273 (32.0%) had never had a blood pressure measurement before and 513,337 (34.0%) had hypertension, of whom 58.7% were aware and 54.7% were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 57.8% were controlled to

The maternal mortality ratio has decreased in many countries since 2000, but in the republic of the Philippines. World Health Organization recommends that the standards of antenatal care (ANC) should start as early as possible in the first trimester, while only 63.4% of pregnant women began the ANC within the first trimester. This study aimed to clarify socio-economic status and current situation regarding pregnancy, and to explore the factors associated with the timing of the first ANC in Leyte by comparing the women who took first ANC within first trimester (early ANC group) with the women whose first ANC delayed after 4 months of pregnancy (late ANC group). We visited 108 women who had pregnancy experience by opportunistic sampling and conducted the semi-structured interview. The early ANC group and the late ANC group were 76 and 27 respectively. Only one person did not take any ANC and 4 people did not remember the timing of first ANC. Monthly income and consultation with husband significantly differed between 2 groups. Around 15% women did not have accurate knowledge about determining pregnancy. In conclusion, it is necessary to spread the right and practical information about pregnancy and antenatal care in the community.

The tourism sector has a significant contribution to the economy of Manado City, North Sulawesi Province. However, on the other hand, it has a negative effect on the increase in the number of child commercial sexual exploitation victims and makes children into commercial sex workers. Despite not effective, the Local Government of Manado City, North Sulawesi Province, has made efforts to cope with the child commercial sexual exploitation victims. In connection with the case, this study is designed to analyze the causes of ineffectiveness of Local Government efforts in tackling child commercial sexual exploitation victims. The study was conducted in tourism area of Manado City, North Sulawesi Province. The informants involved in this study were divided into two types: experts and non-experts. The informants were determined by using Opportunistic Sampling, and the sampling is using Snowball Sampling. The results of the study showed that the development of tourism sector has negative effect on children in the communities. Efforts made to cope with child commercial sexual exploitation victims by the local government and relevant parties have not been effective due to limited allocation of budgets and skilled, quality human resources, the lack of harmonious understanding between police with judges and public prosecutors as law apparatus, supervision, and protection of victims in solving the cases of child commercial sexual exploitation victims, the implementation of action committee’s duties and responsibility have been not effect, the number of obstacles facing them.

Cetacean biopsy sampling is a widely used technique with undisputable scientific value. Although it is generally considered as a harmless technique with no apparent long-lasting effects, studies have recommended examining behavioral responses to evaluate potential impacts on individuals, groups and sampled populations. In this study, we evaluated individual behavioral reactions and wound-healing in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) during a biopsy sampling program carried out in southern Brazil from 2003 to 2012, and compared sampling effectiveness between dedicated and opportunistic sampling surveys. Two hundred and fiftytwo biopsy attempts were made, resulting in 118 hits (48% of attempts) and 134 samples (52% of attempts) collected successfully. Responses to biopsy sampling were low-level, of short-term duration, and elicited similar reactions on the dolphins, irrespective of shot distance, sex of individuals, dolphins’ group size and pre-behavioral state. Dolphins subjected to multiple biopsy attempts reacted in a similar manner as in previous attempt(s), with no evidence of increasing the intensity of the reaction. Wounds could be monitored in 18 animals and healed over 18 to 35 days. Generally, wounds appeared to be covered by epidermis in about three weeks with no observed signs of skin infection. Our results agree with previous studies suggesting that biopsy sampling does not cause significant disturbance to the behavior of dolphins. At a local level, this study demonstrates that biopsy sampling of bottlenose dolphins in the Patos Lagoon Estuary is more effective, less costly and less intrusive when conducted opportunistically, but that long-term sampling is required to achieve a relatively good sample size from photoidentified individuals in the population.

Few secondary metabolites have been reported from mammalian microbiome bacteria despite the large numbers of diverse taxa that inhabit warm-blooded higher vertebrates. As a means to investigate natural products from these microorganisms, an opportunistic sampling protocol was developed, which focused on exploring bacteria isolated from roadkill mammals. This initiative was made possible through the establishment of a newly created discovery pipeline, which couples laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESIMS) with bioassay testing, to target biologically active metabolites from microbiome-associated bacteria. To illustrate this process, this report focuses on samples obtained from the ear of a roadkill opossum (Dideiphis virginiana) as the source of two bacterial isolates (Pseudomonas sp. and Serratia sp.) that produced several new and known cyclic lipodepsipeptides (viscosin and serrawettins, respectively). These natural products inhibited biofilm formation by the human pathogenic ye...

Aims Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide and fewer than half of those with hypertension are aware of it. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign set up in 2017, to raise awareness of high BP and as a pragmatic solution to a lack of formal screening worldwide. The 2018 campaign was expanded, aiming to include more participants and countries. Methods and results Eighty-nine countries participated in MMM 2018. Volunteers (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling at a variety of screening sites. Each participant had three BP measurements and completed a questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication. In total, 74.9% of screenees provided three BP readings. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used to impute missing readings. 1 504 963 individuals (mean age 45.3 years; 52.4% female) were screened. After multiple imputation, 502 079 (33.4%) individuals had hypertension, of whom 59.5% were aware of their diagnosis and 55.3% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 60.0% were controlled and of all hypertensives, 33.2% were controlled. We detected 224 285 individuals with untreated hypertension and 111 214 individuals with inadequately treated (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) hypertension. Conclusion May Measurement Month expanded significantly compared with 2017, including more participants in more countries. The campaign identified over 335 000 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. In the absence of systematic screening programmes, MMM was effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals at risk.

USDA APHIS Wildlife Services (WS) responded to the threat of feral swine as a pathogen reservoir as early as 2004. To increase awareness and knowledge on that risk, WS began opportunistic sampling of animals harvested by its operational component to curtail swine damage to agriculture and property. Initially, pseudorabies and swine brucellosis were of most concern, as both serve as a potential threat to the domestic swine industry and the latter also possesses zoonotic implications. In 2006, classical swine fever, a foreign animal disease, became the main driver for feral swine pathogen surveillance. Subsequent years of surveillance identified numerous other disease risks inherent within populations of feral swine. Presently, feral swine surveillance falls under the purview of the APHIS National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, which began in 2014. In January 2018, a panel of animal disease experts representing industry, government, and academia were invited to Fort Collins, Colorado to discuss successes of this surveillance, identify any shortcomings or needs, and propose future feral swine surveillance. This manuscript serves to synthesize WS' surveillance and the future direction of these efforts.

Background: Sufficient sample size and minimal sample bias are core requirements for empirical data analyses. Combining opportunistic recruitment with a Web-based survey and data-collection platform yields new benefits over traditional recruitment approaches. Objective: This paper aims to report the success of different recruitment methods and obtain data on participants’ characteristics, participation behavior, recruitment rates, and representativeness of the sample. Methods: A longitudinal, Web-based survey was implemented as part of the European PASTA (Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches) project, between November 2014 and December 2016. During this period, participants were recruited from 7 European cities on a rolling basis. A standardized guide on recruitment strategy was developed for all cities, to reach a sufficient number of adult participants. To make use of the strengths and minimize weakness, a combination of different opportunistic recruitment methods was applied. In addition, the random sampling approach was applied in the city of Örebro. To reduce the attrition rate and improve real-time monitoring, the Web-based platform featured a participant’s and a researchers’ user interface and dashboard. Results: Overall, 10,691 participants were recruited; most people found out about the survey through their workplace or employer (2300/10691, 21.51%), outreach promotion (2219/10691, 20.76%), and social media (1859/10691, 17.39%). The average number of questionnaires filled in per participant varied significantly between the cities (P

Pigs (Sus scrofa) may be important surveillance targets for risk assessment and risk-based control planning against emerging zoonoses. Pigs have high contact rates with humans and other animals, transmit similar pathogens as humans including CoVs, and serve as reservoirs and intermediate hosts for notable human pandemics. Wild and domestic pigs both interface with humans and each other but have unique ecologies that demand different surveillance strategies. Three fundamental questions shape any surveillance program: where, when, and how can surveillance be conducted to optimize the surveillance objective? Using theory of mechanisms of zoonotic spillover and data on risk factors, we propose a framework for determining where surveillance might begin initially to maximize a detection in each host species at their interface. We illustrate the utility of the framework using data from the United States. We then discuss variables to consider in refining when and how to conduct surveillance. Recent advances in accounting for opportunistic sampling designs and in translating serology samples into infection times provide promising directions for extracting spatio-temporal estimates of disease risk from typical surveillance data. Such robust estimates of population-level disease risk allow surveillance plans to be updated in space and time based on new information (adaptive surveillance) thus optimizing allocation of surveillance resources to maximize the quality of risk assessment insight.

There is growing interest, worldwide, in collaboration between schools and community organisations in contributing to and enriching school science programs, yet such collaborations are inadequately understood. This paper reports data from an Australian study designed to probe the views of members of the community who have participated in a broad range of such collaborations in school science programmes in order to better understand the issues which impact on their operation. The data were collected by interviews with the community participants selected by opportunistic sampling. The analysis reveals a number of issues—purposes, communication, organisational structures and curriculum—which can be seen as impacting on the collaborations. These are examined through the concepts of communities of practice, boundaries and boundary crossing, associated with people from scientific communities of practice interacting with school communities. The paper reflects on the implications of these findings for constructing effective school-community collaboration in school science programs.

Consider a set of probes, called “agents”, who sample, based on opportunistic contacts, a population moving between a set of discrete locations. An example of such agents are Bluetooth probes that sample the visible Bluetooth devices in a population. Based on the obtained measurements, we construct a parametric statistical model to jointly estimate the total population size (e.g., the number of visible Bluetooth devices) and their spatial density. We evaluate the performance of our estimators by using Bluetooth traces obtained during an open-air event and Wi-Fi traces obtained on a university campus.

ObjectivesTo describe general practitioners’ (GPs’) absolute cardiovascular disease risk (ACVDR) self-reported assessment practices and their relationship to knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about ACVDR.DesignCross-sectional survey with opportunistic sampling (October–December 2017).SettingSunshine Coast region, Queensland, Australia.Participants111 GPs responded to the survey.Primary and secondary outcome measuresProportion of GPs reporting a high (≥80%) versus moderate (60%–79%)/low (ResultsOf the 111 respondents, 78% reported using the Australian ACVDR calculator; 45% reported high, 25% moderate and 30% low ACVDR assessment rates; >85% reported knowing how to use ACVDR assessment tools, believed assessment valuable and were comfortable with providing guideline-recommended treatment. Around half believed patients understood the concept of high risk and were willing to adopt recommendations. High assessment rates (vs moderate/low) were less likely among older GPs (≥45 vs ≤34 years, age-adjusted and sex-adjusted OR (aOR) 0.36, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.97). Those who answered knowledge-based questions about the guidelines incorrectly had lower assessment rates, including those who answered questions on patient eligibility (aOR 0.13, 95% CI 0.02 to 1.11). A high assessment rate was more likely among GPs who believed there was sufficient time to do the assessment (aOR 3.79, 95% CI 1.23 to 11.61) and that their patients were willing to undertake lifestyle modification (aOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.02 to 5.15). Over 75% of GPs agreed better patient education, nurse-led assessment and computer-reminder prompts would enable higher assessment rates.ConclusionsAlthough the majority of GPs report using the ACVDR calculator when undertaking a CVD risk assessment, there is a need to increase the actual proportion of eligible patients undergoing ACVDR assessment. This may be achieved by improving GP assessment practices such as GP and patient knowledge of CVD risk, providing sufficient time and nurse-led assessment.

Background: Sufficient sample size and minimal sample bias are core requirements in empirical data analyses. Combining opportunistic recruitment with an online survey and data collection platform yields new benefits compared to traditional recruitment approaches. Objective: The objective of this paper is to report on the success of different recruitment methods to obtain participants’ characteristics, participation behavior, recruitment rates, and representativeness of the sample. Methods: A longitudinal online survey was implemented as part of the European PASTA project, which was online between November 2014 and December 2016. During this period participants in seven European cities were recruited on a rolling basis. For all cities to reach a sufficient number of adult participants a standardized guide on recruitment strategy was developed. In order to make use of the strengths and to minimize weakness a combination of different opportunistic recruitment methods was applied. In addition, the city of Oerebro applied random sampling approach. In order to reduce attrition rate and improve real-time monitoring the online platform featured a participant and a researchers` user interface and dashboard. Results: A total of 10,691 participants were recruited. Most people found out about the survey through their workplace or employer (21.5 %), outreach promotion (20.8 %), and social media (17.4 %). The average number of questionnaires filled-in per participant varied between the cities, with the highest number in Zurich (11.0 ± 0.33) and the lowest in Oerebro (4.8 ± 0.17). Collaboration with local organizations, the use of Facebook and mailing lists, and direct street recruitment were the most effective approaches in reaching a high share of participants (p =

OBJECTIVES: Despite prevailing beliefs about the potential benefits and harmfulness of mindfulness for people who hear voices, there is a paucity of research into staff and service user views. Q-methodology was used to explore views about mindfulness groups for voice-hearers. METHOD: Opportunistic sampling of mental healthcare staff (N = 14) and service users with psychosis (N = 17). Both samples were analysed using principle components factor analysis to identify the range of attitudes held by staff and service users. RESULTS: Staff participants were particularly knowledgeable and interested in mindfulness. A single staff consensus factor was found suggesting mindfulness is helpful, and not harmful for mental health, but uncertainty surrounded its usefulness for voice-hearers. Service users held four distinct attitudes: (i) mindfulness helps to calm a racing mind; (ii) mindfulness helps to manage stress; (iii) mindfulness improves well-being, and does not alter the brain, reality beliefs, or cause madness; and (iv) mindfulness helps with managing thoughts, fostering acceptance, and is acceptable when delivered in a group format. CONCLUSIONS: Staff viewed mindfulness groups for psychosis as helpful, not harmful, but were uncertain about their utility. Consistent with previous research, service users viewed mindfulness groups as useful to promote well-being and reduce distress for individuals experiencing psychosis.

In order to make an inventory and learn more about the corticolous lichens diversity on the tree layers of the different environments of the cloud forest (Bosque Mesofilo de Montana, BMM) in La Cortadura, Veracruz, a transect along the best preserved hill of the forest was delimited, in which 100 m2 squared plots were delineated every 25 m and with different orientations on the slope. Lichen coverage was estimated among trees that had a DBH higher than 20 cm, on the orientation with the greatest lichen coverage. A non-quantitative and opportunistic sampling was done as well, among the same phorophytes. The data were analyzed using the principal component analysis. For each orientation on the hill, a Shannon diversity index was obtained. The species indicator analysis was applied, as well as the circular distribution method. The results indicate that within every 100 m2 square plot, there were 62 individuals on average of the different phorophyte taxa, which host 108 lichen species: 52 (49.5%) cor...

There is an overdue and urgent need to establish patterns of migratory connectivity linking breeding grounds, stopover sites, and wintering grounds of migratory birds. Such information allows more effective application of conservation efforts by applying focused actions along movement trajectories at the population level. Stable isotope methods, especially those using stable hydrogen isotope abundance in feathers ( 2 Hf) combined with Bayesian assignment techniques incorporating prior information such as relative abundance of breeding birds, now provide a fast and reliable means of establishing migratory connectivity, especially for Neotropical migrants that breed in North America and molt prior to fall migration. Here we demonstrate how opportunistic sampling of feathers of 30 species of wintering birds in Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, regions that have typically been poorly sampled for estimating migratory connectivity, can be assigned to breeding areas in North America through both advanced spatial assignment to probability surfaces and through simpler map lookup approaches. Incorporating relative abundance information from the North American Breeding Bird Survey in our Bayesian assignment models generally resulted in a reduction in potential assignment areas on breeding grounds. However, additional tools to constrain longitude such as DNA markers or other isotopes would be desirable for establishing breeding or molt origins of species with broad longitudinal distributions. The isotope approach could act as a rapid means of establishing basic patterns of migratory connectivity across numerous species and populations. We propose a large-scale coordinated sampling effort on the wintering grounds to establish an isotopic atlas of migratory connectivity for North American Neotropical migrants and suggest that isotopic variance be considered as a valuable metric to quantify migratory connectivity. This initiative could then act as a strategic template to guide further efforts involving stable isotopes, light-sensitive geolocators, and other technologies.

The genus Lepidocyrtus was previously represented by 17 species in Hungary, including four species with locus typicus in this country. Opportunistic sampling in mid-mountain grassland and forest habitats resulted in records of several species from the L. lignorum group and allowed to describe the new species L. traseri sp. nov. The L. lignorum group, established and named after the eponymic species, is composed by a total of 11 species. The main characteristics shared by every species in this group are the dorsal body macrochaetotaxy Rsub0/subRsub1/subRsub2/sub/00/0101+3 and the presence of scales on the antennae and legs. The new species is close to L. lignorum (Fabricius, 1793) and L. violaceus (Geoffroy, 1762) but differs from them by the color pattern, number of interocular scales, type of labral papillae and the number of inner setae on the manubrial plate. An identification key is given for differentiating all species of this group.

Basidiomycetous fungi are ubiquitous organism thriving mostly in forest ecosystem. A study of these group of fungi was conducted at Mt. Palaypalay Protected Landscape (MPPL) in Southern Luzon, Philippines. This protected landscape was categorized by National Integrated Protected Areas System as one of the priority areas for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to document the existence of Basidiomycetes in the Landscape. Collection and photo-documentations of fungi were done during the months of December 2014 to June 2015. Fungal sampling was done using Transect Line (TL) with a combination of quadrat and opportunistic sampling methods. Three transect lines, one kilometer each was laid out from baseline of 100 masl up to 500 masl. Ten quadrats of 15m x 20m with an interval of 250m were established for each TL. Fleshy and woody Basidiomycetous species were collected, identified, and characterized based on established dichotomous keys. Of the 434 specimens collected, there were 24 families, 37 genera, and 41 species identified. The Landscape is currently experiencing some degree of anthropogenic disturbances such as minor forest products gathering, slash-and-burn farming, and quarrying. Fungal diversity research efforts need to be encouraged to evaluate the effects of these human disruptions on the ecology of the Landscape. Keywords: Basidiomycetous fungi, forest ecosystems, Mt. Palaypalay, Luzon Island, Philippines

A quantitative microbial risk assessment of flooding and gastrointestinal illness was carried out using a combination of floodwater quality data from the existing literature on pathogen concentrations in the various floodwater components, the use of microcosms to determine pathogen die-off rates in floodwaters and opportunistic sampling of actual UK floodwaters. Two flood-related scenarios were examined in a hypothetical population to provide an assessment of the likely cases of gastrointestinal illness resulting from contact with floodwater. The results of the study suggest that significant numbers of people are at risk of illness (especially from viral gastroenteritis) during the clean-up process rather than during the inundation and withdrawal phases. Additional sampling during flood events of water and sediment would strengthen the empirical policy evidence base required for estimating the severity and range of health impacts using the risk assessment methodology developed in this paper.

Graduate studies can be one of the most stressful periods of an individual’s life, and the added stressor of being at a distance from a significant other (SO) can complicate this issue. The partner is an important source of support and understanding during this process, and they can help alleviate stressors during this transition. Graduate students are typically not the focus of the research, and neither are the positive aspects of engaging in an long-distance relationship (LDR). Thus, this study addresses: What has been the process of maintaining an LDR while entering graduate studies? Participants were selected based on heterogenous and opportunistic sampling, and included four heterosexual, female graduate students whom were engaged in an LDR. Semi-structured interviews were utilized in conjunction with an grounded theory approach to better understand the subjective experiences of initiating, transitioning into, and maintaining an LDR while one partner undertook graduate studies. Keywords: graduate studies, grounded theory, long-distance relationship, mental health, stress

In this article the emphasis is placed on the evaluation of the impact of intelligent flow sampling techniques on the detection and classification of network anomalies. Based on the observation that for specific-purpose applications such as anomaly detection a large fraction of information is contained in a small fraction of flows, we demonstrate that by using sampling techniques that opportunistically and preferentially sample traffic data, we achieve magnification of the appearance of anomalies within the sampled data set and therefore improve their detection. Therefore, the inherently lossy sampling process is transformed to an advantageous feature in the anomaly detection case, allowing the revealing of anomalies that would be otherwise untraceable, and thus becoming the vehicle for efficient anomaly detection and classification. The evaluation of the impact of intelligent sampling techniques on the anomaly detection process is based on the application of an entropy-based anomaly detection method on a packet trace with data that has been collected from a real operational university campus network.

Purpose: To determine the central corneal thickness (CCT) and its demographic associations among Aboriginal people attending eye clinics in remote South Australia. Methods: A clinic-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving opportunistic sampling of patients. Eligible participants underwent measurement of CCT by ultrasound pachymetry. The results were compared with a group of Caucasian control patients. Results: All patients (189) who were invited to participate in the study had their CCT measured. The mean age was 44.8 ± 14.5 years, and women comprised 57.7% of the sample. The control group consisted of 115 Caucasian participants. The mean age was 47.1 ± 14.8 years, and women accounted for 55.7% of the sample. Mean CCT for Aboriginal participants was 514.9 ± 30.5 μm in the right eye and 515.6 ± 30.5 μm in the left eye (t = 1.1, P = 0.3). Mean right CCT for Caucasian participants was 544.6 ± 31.9 μm and mean left CCT in this group was 547.1 ± 32.2 μm (t = 4.6, P