Identification of Three Common Loliginidae Squid Species in the South China Sea by Analyzing Hard Tissues with Geometric Outline Method

The hard tissues of squid can provide important information for species identification. In this study, we used statolith and beak to identify three squid species including Uroteuthis duvaucelii, Loliolus beka, and U. edulis in the South China Sea. Because of the highly overlapping habitat and similar body morphology of the three squid species, we explored four different ways to identify them, by using statolith, upper beak, lower beak and a combination of statolith and beak. An outline geometric morphometric method and stepwise discriminant analysis were used to evaluate the most suitable method for the identification. We found that the combination of statolith and beak had the highest cross validation rate that was 75.0%, 87.5% and 88.7% for U. duvaucelii, L. beka and U. edulis, respectively. Using two beaks had similar results and the lowest cross validation rate was 60.0%, 50.0%, and 73.7% for the upper beak, 46.9%, 58.5% and 75.3% for the lower beak of U. duvaucelii, L. beka and U. edulis, respectively. Analyzing with the statolith had moderate cross validation which was 72.2%, 80.0%, and 87.7% for U. duvaucelii, L. beka and U. edulis, respectively. From the results it is suggested when the entire body of a squid is available, a combination of statolith and beak should be used for the identification. When only one hard tissue is available, species identification can be subjected to large errors.

Commentary on:“Assessing proprioception:A critical review of methods”by Han et al.

In recent years,the assessment of proprioceptive function has received increased attention in clinical and motor skill research.This is not surprising given the growing body of scientific evidence on the importance of proprioceptive information for controlling nearly all facets of human movement;from standing to performing highly skilled movement patterns

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Ethical Behavior for Thai Nurses Scale

Background:Ethical problems in the nursing profession are mostly found in the undesirable ethical behavior(EBE)of nurses.If there is no concern about these problems,it may negatively affect the quality of nursing care,patients’safety,and trust in the nursing profession.In assessing nurses’EBE,it is important to develop an instrument that reflects the actual EBE of nurses.Objectives:To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Ethical Behavior for Thai Nurses Scale(EBTNS).Methods:The construct definition,5 sub-constructs,43 items,and the hypothesized model were synthesized and generated from a comprehensive literature review and existing research instruments by using document analysis.The EBTNS was verified for content validity by 4 experts.Of the 43 items,37 items were retained for psychometric testing.The construct validity was tested by using second-order confirmatory factor analysis(CFA).The EBTNS was tested on 1500 professional nurses working at tertiary,secondary,and primary hospitals in 6 regions(the central,northern,northeast,eastern,western,and southern)of Thailand.Proportional quota sampling was applied to recruit participants.Results:The hypothesized model fitted the empirical data.All 37 first-order indicators and 5 second-order sub-constructs showed significantly standardized factor loadings and effect sizes.The standardized factor loadings of 37 first-order indicators ranged from 0.58 to 0.89,and the construct reliabilities were moderate to substantial(R2=0.34-0.79).The 5 second-order sub-constructs displayed the standardized effect sizes,ranging from 0.81 to 0.96,and accounted for 65%-96%of the total explained variance.In addition,the construct validity was supported by convergent validity and discriminant validity.It also satisfied Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 5 sub-constructs from 0.87 to 0.94,and a full scale was 0.97.Conclusions:The psychometric properties of the EBTNS are acceptable.This instrument has the potential to be used for evaluating and monitoring to prevent ethical problems of Thai nurses.

Assessing proprioception:What do you really want to know?——Response to Krewer et al.

Dear editor,In their comment,Krewer et al.1argue that before selecting a specific method for assessing proprioception,it is essential to consider which component of proprioception is to be assessed.They also note that there is no single method for assessing all aspects of the various proprioceptive senses,

Stochastic model updating using distance discrimination analysis

This manuscript presents a stochastic model updating method, taking both uncertainties in models and variability in testing into account. The updated finite element（FE） models obtained through the proposed technique can aid in the analysis and design of structural systems. The authors developed a stochastic model updating method integrating distance discrimination analysis（DDA） and advanced Monte Carlo（MC） technique to（1） enable more efficient MC by using a response surface model,（2） calibrate parameters with an iterative test-analysis correlation based upon DDA, and（3） utilize and compare different distance functions as correlation metrics. Using DDA, the influence of distance functions on model updating results is analyzed. The proposed stochastic method makes it possible to obtain a precise model updating outcome with acceptable calculation cost. The stochastic method is demonstrated on a helicopter case study updated using both Euclidian and Mahalanobis distance metrics. It is observed that the selected distance function influences the iterative calibration process and thus, the calibration outcome, indicating that an integration of different metrics might yield improved results.