scholarly journals Preserving avian blood and DNA sampled in the wild: a survey of personal experiences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Di Lecce ◽  
Joanna Sudyka ◽  
David F. Westneat ◽  
Marta Szulkin
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Wild Birds ◽  
Field Collection ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Dna Quality ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Pros And Cons

Collecting and storing biological material from wild animals in a way that does not deteriorate data quality for analyses using DNA is instrumental for research in ecology and evolution. Our aims were to collect methods commonly used by researchers for the field collection and long-term storage of blood samples and DNA extracts from wild birds and gather reports on their effectiveness. Personal experiences were collected with an online survey targeted specifically at researchers sampling wild birds. Many researchers experienced problems with blood sample storage but not with DNA extract storage. Storage issues generated problems with obtaining adequate DNA quality and sufficient DNA quantity for the targeted molecular analyses, but were not related to season of blood sampling, access to equipment, transporting samples, temperature and method of blood storage. Final DNA quality and quantity were also not affected by storage time before DNA extraction or the methods used to extract DNA. We discuss practical aspects of field collection and storage and provide some general recommendations, with a list of pros and cons of different preservation methods of avian blood samples and DNA extracts.

scholarly journals Short report: Autistic parents’ views and experiences of talking about autism with their autistic children

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132098131
Author(s):  
Laura Crane ◽  
Lok Man Lui ◽  
Jade Davies ◽  
Elizabeth Pellicano
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Short Report ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Current Sample ◽  
Experiential Expertise

Little is known about how parents talk about autism with their autistic children, particularly among families in which both a parent and child are autistic. Using an online survey, we gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 34 autistic parents (most of whom had told their children about their diagnosis) to address this knowledge gap. There was considerable overlap between the views and experiences of the autistic parents in this study and the largely non-autistic parent samples in previous research. Specifically, parents emphasised the importance of being open and honest about the diagnosis, disclosing the diagnosis as early as possible, individualising discussions to children’s needs and framing the diagnosis positively. There were, however, areas in which the views and experiences of the current sample differed from previous research on non-autistic samples. First, our sample of autistic parents outlined the benefits of their own experiential expertise, which they felt resulted in heightened understanding and empathy with their children. Second, our sample tended not to express concerns about disclosure potentially having a negative impact. Finally, our participants did not express a want or need for professional support with disclosure. Instead, they reported feeling well equipped to support their children using their own knowledge and lived experience. Lay abstract Previous research examining how parents talk about autism with their children has tended to focus on parents who are not autistic themselves. We collected information on this topic from 34 autistic parents of autistic children (most of whom had told their children about their diagnosis). We found similarities, but also differences, between the views and experiences of autistic parents in this research and those reported in previous research (in studies of largely non-autistic parents). Similarities include the following: it is important to be open and honest about the diagnosis; the diagnosis should be introduced/discussed as early as possible; discussions should be tailored to each individual child’s needs; and we should not overlook the challenges associated with autism, but it is important to focus on positive aspects too. Differences include the following: autistic parents used personal experiences in conversations about autism, which was felt to result in increased understanding and empathy with their children; autistic parents overwhelmingly focused on more positive aspects of an autism diagnosis; our sample did not express concerns that discussions could have negative consequences too (e.g. making children more anxious); and autistic parents did not want or need professional support to talk about autism with their children (instead, they felt confident in using their own knowledge/experiences to guide discussions).

scholarly journals A Revised Model of Trust in Internet-Based Health Information and Advice: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

10.2196/11125 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. e11125
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Sillence ◽  
John Matthew Blythe ◽  
Pam Briggs ◽  
Mark Moss
Keyword(s):  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Patient Experiences ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Fit Index ◽  
Significant Direct Effect

Background The internet continues to offer new forms of support for health decision making. Government, charity, and commercial websites increasingly offer a platform for shared personal health experiences, and these are just some of the opportunities that have arisen in a largely unregulated arena. Understanding how people trust and act on this information has always been an important issue and remains so, particularly as the design practices of health websites continue to evolve and raise further concerns regarding their trustworthiness. Objective The aim of this study was to identify the key factors influencing US and UK citizens’ trust and intention to act on advice found on health websites and to understand the role of patient experiences. Methods A total of 1123 users took part in an online survey (625 from the United States and 498 from the United Kingdom). They were asked to recall their previous visit to a health website. The online survey consisted of an updated general Web trust questionnaire to account for personal experiences plus questions assessing key factors associated with trust in health websites (information corroboration and coping perception) and intention to act. We performed principal component analysis (PCA), then explored the relationship between the factor structure and outcomes by testing the fit to the sampled data using structural equation modeling (SEM). We also explored the model fit across US and UK populations. Results PCA of the general Web trust questionnaire revealed 4 trust factors: (1) personal experiences, (2) credibility and impartiality, (3) privacy, and (4) familiarity. In the final SEM model, trust was found to have a significant direct effect on intention to act (beta=.59; P<.001), and of the trust factors, only credibility and impartiality had a significant direct effect on trust (beta=.79; P<.001). The impact of personal experiences on trust was mediated through information corroboration (beta=.06; P=.04). Variables specific to electronic health (eHealth; information corroboration and coping) were found to substantially improve the model fit, and differences in information corroboration were found between US and UK samples. The final model accounting for all factors achieved a good fit (goodness-of-fit index [0.95], adjusted goodness-of-fit index [0.93], root mean square error of approximation [0.50], and comparative fit index [0.98]) and explained 65% of the variance in trust and 41% of the variance in intention to act. Conclusions Credibility and impartiality continue to be key predictors of trust in eHealth websites. Websites with patient experiences can positively influence trust but only if users first corroborate the information through other sources. The need for corroboration was weaker in the United Kingdom, where website familiarity reduced the need to check information elsewhere. These findings are discussed in relation to existing trust models, patient experiences, and health literacy.

Second SPIDIA-DNA External Quality Assessment (EQA): Influence of pre-analytical phase of blood samples on genomic DNA quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 454 ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Malentacchi ◽  
Sara Pizzamiglio ◽  
Hady Ibrahim-Gawel ◽  
Mario Pazzagli ◽  
Paolo Verderio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Genomic Dna ◽  
External Quality Assessment ◽  
External Quality ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Dna Quality ◽  
Analytical Phase

scholarly journals Quality Control of Serum and Plasma by Quantification of (4E,14Z)-Sphingadienine-C18-1-Phosphate Uncovers Common Preanalytical Errors During Handling of Whole Blood

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyu Liu ◽  
Miriam Hoene ◽  
Peiyuan Yin ◽  
Louise Fritsche ◽  
Peter Plomgaard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Whole Blood ◽  
Plasma Samples ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Reliable Assessment ◽  
Therapeutic Decisions ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Research Findings

Abstract BACKGROUND Nonadherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) during handling and processing of whole blood is one of the most frequent causes affecting the quality of serum and plasma. Yet, the quality of blood samples is of the utmost importance for reliable, conclusive research findings, valid diagnostics, and appropriate therapeutic decisions. METHODS UHPLC-MS-driven nontargeted metabolomics was applied to identify biomarkers that reflected time to processing of blood samples, and a targeted UHPLC-MS analysis was used to quantify and validate these biomarkers. RESULTS We found that (4E,14Z)-sphingadienine-C18-1-phosphate (S1P-d18:2) was suitable for the reliable assessment of the pronounced changes in the quality of serum and plasma caused by errors in the phase between collection and centrifugation of whole blood samples. We rigorously validated S1P-d18:2, which included the use of practicality tests on &gt;1400 randomly selected serum and plasma samples that were originally collected during single- and multicenter trials and then stored in 11 biobanks in 3 countries. Neither life-threatening disease states nor strenuous metabolic challenges (i.e., high-intensity exercise) affected the concentration of S1P-d18:2. Cutoff values for sample assessment were defined (plasma, ≤0.085 μg/mL; serum, ≤0.154 μg/mL). CONCLUSIONS Unbiased valid monitoring to check for adherence to SOP-dictated time for processing to plasma or serum and/or time to storage of whole blood at 4 °C is now feasible. This novel quality assessment step could enable scientists to uncover common preanalytical errors, allowing for identification of serum and plasma samples that should be excluded from certain investigations. It should also allow control of samples before long-term storage in biobanks.

scholarly journals European survey on preanalytical sample handling – Part 2: Practices of European laboratories on monitoring and processing haemolytic, icteric and lipemic samples. On behalf of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EF

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 334-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Cadamuro ◽  
Michael Cornes ◽  
Ana-Maria Simundic ◽  
Barbara de la Salle ◽  
Gunn B.B. Kristensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Chemistry ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
European Federation ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Sensitive Parameters ◽  
Disease Testing

Introduction: No guideline currently exists on how to detect or document haemolysis, icterus or lipemia (HIL) in blood samples, nor on subsequent use of this information. The EFLM WG-PRE has performed a survey for assessing current practices of European laboratories in HIL monitoring. This second part of two coherent articles is focused on HIL. Materials and methods: An online survey, containing 39 questions on preanalytical issues, was disseminated among EFLM member countries. Seventeen questions exclusively focused on assessment, management and follow-up actions of HIL in routine blood samples. Results: Overall, 1405 valid responses from 37 countries were received. A total of 1160 (86%) of all responders stating to analyse blood samples - monitored HIL. HIL was mostly checked in clinical chemistry samples and less frequently in those received for coagulation, therapeutic drug monitoring and serology/infectious disease testing. HIL detection by automatic HIL indices or visual inspection, along with haemolysis cut-offs definition, varied widely among responders. A quarter of responders performing automated HIL checks used internal quality controls. In haemolytic/icteric/lipemic samples, most responders (70%) only rejected HIL-sensitive parameters, whilst about 20% released all test results with general comments. Other responders did not analysed but rejected the entire sample, while some released all tests, without comments. Overall, 26% responders who monitored HIL were using this information for monitoring phlebotomy or sample transport quality. Conclusion: Strategies for monitoring and treating haemolytic, icteric or lipemic samples are quite heterogeneous in Europe. The WG-PRE will use these insights for developing and providing recommendations aimed at harmonizing strategies across Europe.

scholarly journals Performance in Omics Analyses of Blood Samples in Long-Term Storage: Opportunities for the Exploitation of Existing Biobanks in Environmental Health Research

2013 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennie G.A.J. Hebels ◽  
Panagiotis Georgiadis ◽  
Hector C. Keun ◽  
Toby J. Athersuch ◽  
Paolo Vineis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Environmental Health Research ◽  
Term Storage

Detection of lymphatic Wuchereria bancrofti in carriers and long-term storage blood samples using semi-nested PCR

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kanjanavas ◽  
P. Tan-ariya ◽  
P. Khawsak ◽  
A. Pakpitcharoen ◽  
S. Phantana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Wuchereria Bancrofti ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Term Storage

scholarly journals Assessment of physiological status of felids as indicator of their welfare in the wild

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Ekaterina V. Pavlova ◽  
Evgeny A. Ivanov ◽  
Vadim E. Kiriluk ◽  
Vyacheslav V. Rozhnov
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Russian Far East ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Hematological Analysis ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Far Eastern ◽  
Felid Species

One of the main approaches to monitoring the welfare of wild mammal populations in the wild is animal health estimation based on an analysis of their physiological parameters. To assess that for the natural felid populations, we analyzed adrenal activity level, white blood cells (WBC) counts and occurrence of seropositive reactions to different diseases. The first study was conducted in the Southwest Primorye, in natural habitats of Far Eastern leopard. Unevenly cold and snowy winters in 2010 and 2011 provided extreme natural conditions for overwintering mammals across the Russian Far East. Adrenocortical activity of leopards was significantly higher in 2011 (fecal cortisol level was 712.7 ± 92.4  ng g-1) than in 2010 (361.4 ± 80.5 ng g-1). We suggest that abundance and availability of weakened deer and carcasses could facilitate hunting for leopards and help them to avoid starvation. In the second study we used WBC counts as a health index for three felid species: Pallas cat (Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, 2010), Far Eastern leopard (Southwestern Prymorie, 2011), Siberian tiger (Ussuriskii Reserve, 2010-2011). The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N:L) was used as an indicator of stress and/or disease state. Occurrence of seropositive reactions to 12 different pathogens was analyzed in all the animals after the hematological analysis. Pallas cats had the lowest N:L ratio (1.0 ± 0.1), significantly differing from leopards (42.8 ± 16.0) and tigers (24.5 ± 9.2). The N:L ratio correlated with the occurrence of seropositive reactions but not with the pathogen diversity. Pallas cats had the lowest occurrence of positive reactions to 4 pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii (12.5%), Mycoplasma sp. (12.5%), influenza A (7.1%), and feline leukemia virus (8.3%). Leopards had the highest N:L and occurrence of seropositive reactions only to 2 infections: T. gondii (16.6%) and Candida sp. (100%). On the contrary, tigers had positive responses to 6 pathogens, including canine distemper (7.7%), feline immunodeficiency virus (8.3%) and Aujeszky’s disease (31%), which were not found in other cats. Values of N:L depended also on the time spent to get blood samples. In the big felid species effects of glucocorticoids on the WBC ratio (neutrophilia) were obtained in blood samples from anesthetized animals, taken more than 2 hours after capture. In Pallas cats blood samples were collected within 13 ± 2 min without anesthesia. Thus the high N:L ratio in big felids can be explained by several reasons: stress of capture, immunosuppression and a high diversity of detected infections. The present findings may have important implications for creation of effective conservation strategies of rare felid species in the wild.

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