| 1. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 2. |
- Lopes-Lima, M., et al.
(författare)
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Integrative phylogenetic, phylogeographic and morphological characterisation of the Unio crassus species complex reveals cryptic diversity with important conservation implications
- 2024
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Ingår i: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. - : Academic Press Inc.. - 1055-7903 .- 1095-9513. ; 195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The global decline of freshwater mussels and their crucial ecological services highlight the need to understand their phylogeny, phylogeography and patterns of genetic diversity to guide conservation efforts. Such knowledge is urgently needed for Unio crassus, a highly imperilled species originally widespread throughout Europe and southwest Asia. Recent studies have resurrected several species from synonymy based on mitochondrial data, revealing U. crassus to be a complex of cryptic species. To address long-standing taxonomic uncertainties hindering effective conservation, we integrate morphometric, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses to examine species diversity within the U. crassus complex across its entire range. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (815 specimens from 182 populations) and, for selected specimens, whole mitogenome sequences and Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) data on ∼ 600 nuclear loci. Mito-nuclear discordance was detected, consistent with mitochondrial DNA gene flow between some species during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Fossil-calibrated phylogenies based on AHE data support a Mediterranean origin for the U. crassus complex in the Early Miocene. The results of our integrative approach support 12 species in the group: the previously recognised Unio bruguierianus, Unio carneus, Unio crassus, Unio damascensis, Unio ionicus, Unio sesirmensis, and Unio tumidiformis, and the reinstatement of five nominal taxa: Unio desectus stat. rev., Unio gontierii stat. rev., Unio mardinensis stat. rev., Unio nanus stat. rev., and Unio vicarius stat. rev. Morphometric analyses of shell contours reveal important morphospace overlaps among these species, highlighting cryptic, but geographically structured, diversity. The distribution, taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation of each species are succinctly described.
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| 3. |
- Vandenberg, Laura N., et al.
(författare)
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A proposed framework for the systematic review and integrated assessment (SYRINA) of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environmental Health. - London : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1476-069X. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is receiving wide attention from both the scientific and regulatory communities. Recent analyses of the EDC literature have been criticized for failing to use transparent and objective approaches to draw conclusions about the strength of evidence linking EDC exposures to adverse health or environmental outcomes. Systematic review methodologies are ideal for addressing this issue as they provide transparent and consistent approaches to study selection and evaluation. Objective methods are needed for integrating the multiple streams of evidence (epidemiology, wildlife, laboratory animal, in vitro, and in silico data) that are relevant in assessing EDCs.Methods: We have developed a framework for the systematic review and integrated assessment (SYRINA) of EDC studies. The framework was designed for use with the International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and World Health Organization (WHO) definition of an EDC, which requires appraisal of evidence regarding 1) association between exposure and an adverse effect, 2) association between exposure and endocrine disrupting activity, and 3) a plausible link between the adverse effect and the endocrine disrupting activity.Results: Building from existing methodologies for evaluating and synthesizing evidence, the SYRINA framework includes seven steps: 1) Formulate the problem; 2) Develop the review protocol; 3) Identify relevant evidence; 4) Evaluate evidence from individual studies; 5) Summarize and evaluate each stream of evidence; 6) Integrate evidence across all streams; 7) Draw conclusions, make recommendations, and evaluate uncertainties. The proposed method is tailored to the IPCS/WHO definition of an EDC but offers flexibility for use in the context of other definitions of EDCs.Conclusions: When using the SYRINA framework, the overall objective is to provide the evidence base needed to support decision making, including any action to avoid/minimise potential adverse effects of exposures. This framework allows for the evaluation and synthesis of evidence from multiple evidence streams. Finally, a decision regarding regulatory action is not only dependent on the strength of evidence, but also the consequences of action/inaction, e.g. limited or weak evidence may be sufficient to justify action if consequences are serious or irreversible.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Asan, Noor Badariah, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of the Fat Channel for Intra-Body Communication at R-Band Frequencies
- 2018
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Ingår i: Sensors. - : MDPI. - 1424-8220. ; 18:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, we investigate the use of fat tissue as a communication channel between in-body, implanted devices at R-band frequencies (1.7–2.6 GHz). The proposed fat channel is based on an anatomical model of the human body. We propose a novel probe that is optimized to efficiently radiate the R-band frequencies into the fat tissue. We use our probe to evaluate the path loss of the fat channel by studying the channel transmission coefficient over the R-band frequencies. We conduct extensive simulation studies and validate our results by experimentation on phantom and ex-vivo porcine tissue, with good agreement between simulations and experiments. We demonstrate a performance comparison between the fat channel and similar waveguide structures. Our characterization of the fat channel reveals propagation path loss of ∼0.7 dB and ∼1.9 dB per cm for phantom and ex-vivo porcine tissue, respectively. These results demonstrate that fat tissue can be used as a communication channel for high data rate intra-body networks.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Blom, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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An Experimental Evaluation of Documentation Methods and Reusability
- 2008
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents an experimental evaluation carried out in an academic environment. The goal of the experiment was to compare how different methods of documenting semantic information affect software reuse. More specifically, the goal was to measure if there were any differences between the methods with regard to the time needed to implement changes to existing software. Four methods of documentation were used; executable contracts, non-executable contracts, Javadoc-style documentation and sequence diagrams. The results indicate that executable contracts demanded more time than the other three methods and that sequence diagrams and Javadoc demanded the least time
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| 8. |
- Blom, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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An Experimental Evaluation of Programming by Contract
- 2002
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents an experiment designed to compare a contract-based programming method with a standard programming method based on exceptions. The purpose was to evaluate if using contracts would shorten development time, if contracts would improve work satisfaction and if contracts would increase the quality of the resulting software program. The experiment was performed in a project work course for students in the computer science program at Karlstad University. The students were to solve an assignment in groups of four within a period of ten weeks. Half of the groups used the contract-based method and the other half used the exception-based method. We gathered data on time consumption and work satisfaction on daily forms for statistical analysis. The results indicate that there is a gain in the time spent on implementation of the assignment if the contract-based method is used, but no significant difference in total time consumption was found. The results also indicate that the work satisfaction was slightly higher in the groups using the contract-based method. The resulting program was analyzed for a range of quality metrics, but no significant differences were found
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| 9. |
- Blom, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Introducing Contract-Based Programming in Industry - A Case Study
- 2005
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a case study performed in an industrial project where we introduced and evaluated a method for supporting contract-based program development. The project constructed a large software system and involved around 30 people for 8 months. This paper reports on the designers' and programmers' attitudes towards programming by contract and how they perceived the effect the method had on their work. The results show that the designers and programmers were generally positive to contract-based program development and believed that the quality of their products would improve as an effect of the method
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