Which is the optimal sampling strategy for habitat suitability modelling

Designing an efficient sampling strategy is of crucial importance for habitat suitability modelling. This paper compares four such strategies, namely, 'random', 'regular', 'proportional-stratified' and 'equal -stratified'- to investigate (1) how they affect prediction accuracy and (2) how sensitive they are to sample size. In order to compare them, a virtual species approach (Ecol. Model. 145 (2001) 111) in a real landscape, based on reliable data, was chosen. The distribution of the virtual species was sampled 300 times using each of the four strategies in four sample sizes. The sampled data were then fed into a GLM to make two types of prediction: (1) habitat suitability and (2) presence/ absence. Comparing the predictions to the known distribution of the virtual species allows model accuracy to be assessed. Habitat suitability predictions were assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient and presence/absence predictions by Cohen's K agreement coefficient. The results show the 'regular' and 'equal-stratified' sampling strategies to be the most accurate and most robust. We propose the following characteristics to improve sample design: (1) increase sample size, (2) prefer systematic to random sampling and (3) include environmental information in the design'

Sustainability of the Peruvian anchoveta supply chains from sea to shelf: towards a new strategy for optimal use of resources

The research performed a sustainability assessment of supply chains of the anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) in Peru. The corresponding fisheries lands 6.5 million t per year, of which <2% is rendered into products for direct human consumption (DHC) and 98% reduced into feed ingredients (fishmeal and fish oil, FMFO), for export. Several industries compete for the anchoveta resources, generating local and global impacts. The need for understanding these dynamics, towards sustainability-improving management and policy recommendations, determined the development of a sustainability assessment framework: 1) characterisation and modelling of the systems under study (with Life Cycle Assessment and other tools) including local aquaculture, 2) calculation of sustainability indicators (i.e. energy efficiency, nutritional value, socio-economic performances), and 3) sustainability comparison of supply chains; definition and comparison of alternative exploitation scenarios. Future exploitation scenarios were defined by combining an ecosystem and a material flow models: continuation of the status quo (Scenario 1), shift towards increased proportion of DHC production (Scenario 2), and radical reduction of the anchoveta harvest in order for other fish stocks to recover and be exploited for DHC (Scenario 3). Scenario 2 was identified as the most sustainable. Management and policy recommendations include improving of: controls for compliance with management measures, sanitary conditions for DHC, landing infrastructure for small- and medium-scale (SMS) fisheries; the development of a national refrigerated distribution chain; and the assignation of flexible tolerances for discards from different DHC processes.

Paper 4: EUROCAT statistical monitoring: identification and investigation of ten year trends of congenital anomalies in Europe.

BACKGROUND: As part of EUROCAT's surveillance of congenital anomalies in Europe, a statistical monitoring system has been developed to detect recent clusters or long-term (10 year) time trends. The purpose of this article is to describe the system for the identification and investigation of 10-year time trends, conceived as a "screening" tool ultimately leading to the identification of trends which may be due to changing teratogenic factors.METHODS: The EUROCAT database consists of all cases of congenital anomalies including livebirths, fetal deaths from 20 weeks gestational age, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly. Monitoring of 10-year trends is performed for each registry for each of 96 non-independent EUROCAT congenital anomaly subgroups, while Pan-Europe analysis combines data from all registries. The monitoring results are reviewed, prioritized according to a prioritization strategy, and communicated to registries for investigation. Twenty-one registries covering over 4 million births, from 1999 to 2008, were included in monitoring in 2010.CONCLUSIONS: Significant increasing trends were detected for abdominal wall anomalies, gastroschisis, hypospadias, Trisomy 18 and renal dysplasia in the Pan-Europe analysis while 68 increasing trends were identified in individual registries. A decreasing trend was detected in over one-third of anomaly subgroups in the Pan-Europe analysis, and 16.9% of individual registry tests. Registry preliminary investigations indicated that many trends are due to changes in data quality, ascertainment, screening, or diagnostic methods. Some trends are inevitably chance phenomena related to multiple testing, while others seem to represent real and continuing change needing further investigation and response by regional/national public health authorities.

Incidents occuring during anesthesia for total hip arthroplasty: a comparison of general versus regional anaesthesia

Background: The type of anesthesia to be used for total hip arthroplasty (THA) is still a matter of debate. We compared the occurrence of per- and post-anesthesia incidents in patients receiving either general (GA) or regional anesthesia (RA). Methods: We used data from 29 hospitals, routinely collected in the Anaesthesia Databank Switzerland register between January 2001 and December 2003. We used multi-level logistic regression models. Results: There were more per- and post-anesthesia incidents under GA compared to RA (35.1% vs 32.7 %, n = 3191, and 23.1% vs 19.4%, n = 3258, respectively). In multi-level logistic regression analysis, RA was significantly associated with a lower incidence of per-anesthetic problems, especially hypertension, compared with GA. During the post-anesthetic period, RA was also less associated with pain. Conversely, RA was more associated with post-anesthetic hypotension, especially for epidural technique. In addition, age and ASA were more associated with incidents under GA compared to RA. Men were more associated with per-anesthetic problems under RA compared to GA. Whereas increased age (>67), gender (male), and ASA were linked with the choice of RA, we noticed that this choice depended also on hospital practices after we adjusted for the other variables. Conclusions: Compared to RA, GA was associated with an increased proportion of per- and post-anesthesia incidents. Although this study is only observational, it is rooted in daily practice. Whereas RA might be routinely proposed, GA might be indicated because of contraindications to RA, patients' preferences or other surgical or anaesthesiology related reasons. Finally, the choice of a type of anesthesia seems to depend on local practices that may differ between hospitals.

2010 Iowa Drug Control Strategy

Iowa's Drug Control Strategy serves as a comprehensive blueprint for coordinated prevention, treatment, and enforcement actions to protect citizens from the dangers posed by substance abuse. This holistic plan, developed by Iowa's Drug Policy Advisory Council, embraces a performance-oriented process to align resources with long-term goals, and supports three desired results: All Iowans are healthy and drug-free, Iowa communities are free from illegal drugs, all Iowans are safe from drug abusing offenders. This report also contains a mix of recent accomplishments and pending challenges.

Audit report on the South Central Iowa Regional E-911 Service Board for the year ended June 30, 2009

Audit report on the South Central Iowa Regional E-911 Service Board for the year ended June 30, 2009

Business Sphere, Vol. 21, no.1

These are exciting days in Iowa and the Upper Midwest—the preferred location for developing the green economy and the renewable energy industry. Forward looking policies of Governor Chet Culver, who has set a goal of making our state energy independent, and a ready response to new opportunities are moving Iowa forward in the vanguard of energy transformation. The adoption and consumption of alternative energy will continue to increase. We have succeeded where others are just beginning because we have the grain and crop residues that have made Iowa first in biofuels, sustained winds to get more of our electricity from wind than any other state, and research universities that are hotbeds of renewable energy innovation.

A Dose-Response Strategy Reveals Differences between Normal-Weight and Obese Men in Their Metabolic and Inflammatory Responses to a High-Fat Meal.

A dose-response strategy may not only allow investigation of the impact of foods and nutrients on human health but may also reveal differences in the response of individuals to food ingestion based on their metabolic health status. In a randomized crossover study, we challenged 19 normal-weight (BMI: 20-25 kg/m(2)) and 18 obese (BMI: >30 kg/m(2)) men with 500, 1000, and 1500 kcal of a high-fat (HF) meal (60.5% energy from fat). Blood was taken at baseline and up to 6 h postprandially and analyzed for a range of metabolic, inflammatory, and hormonal variables, including plasma glucose, lipids, and C-reactive protein and serum insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and endotoxin. Insulin was the only variable that could differentiate the postprandial response of normal-weight and obese participants at each of the 3 caloric doses. A significant response of the inflammatory marker IL-6 was only observed in the obese group after ingestion of the HF meal containing 1500 kcal [net incremental AUC (iAUC) = 22.9 ± 6.8 pg/mL × 6 h, P = 0.002]. Furthermore, the net iAUC for triglycerides significantly increased from the 1000 to the 1500 kcal meal in the obese group (5.0 ± 0.5 mmol/L × 6 h vs. 6.0 ± 0.5 mmol/L × 6 h; P = 0.015) but not in the normal-weight group (4.3 ± 0.5 mmol/L × 6 h vs. 4.8 ± 0.5 mmol/L × 6 h; P = 0.31). We propose that caloric dose-response studies may contribute to a better understanding of the metabolic impact of food on the human organism. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01446068.