Examining the microclimate hypothesis in Amazonian birds: indirect tests of the ‘visual constraints’ mechanism

Oikos ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 798-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron L. Rutt ◽  
Stephen R. Midway ◽  
Vitek Jirinec ◽  
Jared D. Wolfe ◽  
Philip C Stouffer
2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (04) ◽  
pp. 1350021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. KAHRAMAN ◽  
M. S. DELIBALTA ◽  
R. COMAKLI

Compared to the indirect tests, the determination of the Los Angeles abrasion loss is time consuming and expensive, and requires a large amount of samples. For this reason, the prediction of Los Angeles abrasion loss from some indirect tests is useful for preliminary studies. In this study, Los Angeles abrasion, noise level (NL) measurement, density, and porosity tests were carried out on 27 different rock types such as igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. The test results were evaluated using the simple and multiple regression analysis. A good relation was found between the Los Angeles abrasion loss and the NL. In order to check the possibility of obtaining more significant relations, multiple regression analysis was performed by including density and porosity values. However, the regression analysis showed that the correlation coefficients of the multiple regression equations were slightly higher than that of the simple regression equation. Since the simple regression equation is practical and statistically significant, it is suggested for estimation purpose. In conclusion, it can be said that Los Angeles abrasion loss of aggregates can be reliably estimated from NL measurement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 1801033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teal S. Hallstrand ◽  
Joerg D. Leuppi ◽  
Guy Joos ◽  
Graham L. Hall ◽  
Kai-Håkon Carlsen ◽  
...  

Recently, this international task force reported the general considerations for bronchial challenge testing and the performance of the methacholine challenge test, a “direct” airway challenge test. Here, the task force provides an updated description of the pathophysiology and the methods to conduct indirect challenge tests. Because indirect challenge tests trigger airway narrowing through the activation of endogenous pathways that are involved in asthma, indirect challenge tests tend to be specific for asthma and reveal much about the biology of asthma, but may be less sensitive than direct tests for the detection of airway hyperresponsiveness. We provide recommendations for the conduct and interpretation of hyperpnoea challenge tests such as dry air exercise challenge and eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea that provide a single strong stimulus for airway narrowing. This technical standard expands the recommendations to additional indirect tests such as hypertonic saline, mannitol and adenosine challenge that are incremental tests, but still retain characteristics of other indirect challenges. Assessment of airway hyperresponsiveness, with direct and indirect tests, are valuable tools to understand and to monitor airway function and to characterise the underlying asthma phenotype to guide therapy. The tests should be interpreted within the context of the clinical features of asthma.


2017 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Leyla HADEF ◽  
Hebib AGGAD ◽  
Brahim HAMAD ◽  
Mohamed Said MAHMOUD ◽  
Aicha ADAIKA

The aim of the present study was to determine a threshold values and to assess the effectiveness of four indirect tests for the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in dairy camels comparing with bacteriological culture. One hundred fifty three milk samples from 17 lactating camels were subjected to bacteriological culture, where 84 milk samples were positive, 47 were negative and 22 samples were considered as contaminated. A total of 131 milk samples were screened by pH, electrical conductivity (EC), California mastitis test (CMT) and somatic cell count (SCC). The good combination of sensitivity and specificity were obtained with a threshold of 6.55, 7.2 mS/cm, score trace was considered as CMT (+) and 240 000 cells/ml for the four tests, respectively. The sensitivity of the SCC, pH, EC and CMT was 72.61, 66.66, 47.61 and 39.28 %; the specificity 70.21, 38.02, 59.57 and 72.34 %; percentage accuracy 71.75, 51.14, 51.90 and 51.14 %; and positive predictive value 81.33, 47.61, 67.79 and 71.73 %, respectively. The SCC was significantly correlated with bacteriological culture (r = 0.415, p < 0.05). Kappa value of SCC was higher than that of other tests (SCC > CMT > EC > pH). In conclusion, the results suggest that the SCC was the most accurate, reliable, diagnostic method compared to other tests used in this study after cultural isolation for the detection of subclinical mastitis in dairy camel under field conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Devis Bellucci ◽  
Roberta Salvatori ◽  
Maria Cannio ◽  
Marina Luginina ◽  
Roberto Orrù ◽  
...  

AbstractThe biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite (HA), a lab-made bioglass (BGCaMIX) with high crystallization temperature and different HA/BGCaMIX composites, produced by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), was tested with respect to murine osteocytes both by direct and indirect tests, in order to also investigate possible cytotoxic effects of the samples’ extracts. Previous investigations demonstrated that the samples’ bioactivity, evaluated in a simulated body fluid solution (SBF), increased with the increasing amount of BGCaMIX in the sample itself. Although none of the samples were cytotoxic, the findings of the biological evaluation did not confirm those arising from the SBF assay. In particular, the results of direct tests did not show an enhanced “biological performance” of materials with higher glass content. This finding may be due to the high release of ions and particulate from the glass phase. On the contrary, the performance of the BGCaMIX alone is better for the indirect tests, based on filtered samples’ extracts. This work further demonstrates that, when considering bioglasses and HA/bioglass composites, the results of the SBF assays should be interpreted with great care, making sure that the results arising from direct contact tests are integrated with those arising fromthe indirect ones.


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