Patterns of morphological evolution in the raptorial appendages of praying mantises.

Mantodea (praying mantises) is a group of exclusively predatory insects, which, together with nonraptorial blattodeans (cockroaches and termites) and groups exclusively found in the fossil record, form the group Dictyoptera. A central characteristic of Mantodea is the specialization of their first pair of legs as raptorial grasping appendages, but the evolution from walking to raptorial legs is not yet fully understood. Here, we trace the evolution of the raptorial appendages in Dictyoptera through time using a morphometric (morphospaces) approach.

Eocene and modern entomofauna differ-a Cretaceous-like larva in Rovno amber.

We report a 35 million-year-old lacewing larva from Ukrainian amber. This insect larva has a morphology up to now only known from 100 million-year-old amber. Therefore, this morphology survived more than 60 million years longer than previously assumed.

Armoured Lepidopteran Caterpillars Preserved in Non-Fossil Resins and What They Tell Us about the Fossil Preservation of Caterpillars.

Resin is a plastic-like product of trees. Older occurrences of such resin are referred to as amber and are considered fossil resin. Younger resins are termed copals.

Expanding the Mesozoic Record of Early Brachyceran Fly Larvae, including New Larval Forms with Chimera-Type Morphologies.

Diptera are one of the four megadiverse groups of holometabolan insects. Flies perform numerous ecological functions, especially in their larval stages. We can assume that this was already the case in the past; however, fly larvae remain rare in most deposits.

Morphological diversity in true and false crabs reveals the plesiomorphy of the megalopa phase.

Brachyura and Anomala (or Anomura), also referred to as true and false crabs, form the species-rich and globally abundant group of Meiura, an ingroup of Decapoda. The evolutionary success of both groups is sometimes attributed to the process of carcinization (evolving a crab-like body), but might also be connected to the megalopa, a specific transitional larval phase. We investigate these questions, using outline analysis of the shields (carapaces) of more than 1500 meiuran crabs.

Benefits of Usability Evaluation in the Development Process of Diabetes Technologies Using the Example of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Prototype.

Background: Usability engineering analyzes the interaction between the intended users and a device. Its implementation is mandatory for manufacturers to obtain regulatory approval for the European market. The aim of this evaluation was assessing the role of usability testing in the development process.

Investigation of the Effect of 70 Potential Interferents on Measurement Results of Two Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems.

Background: Reliable blood glucose (BG) measurements are important for people with diabetes to manage their therapy as well as in point-of-care testing (POCT) performed by health care professionals to monitor BG of patients or even to diagnose diabetes. Among other factors, endogenous and exogenous substances present in blood samples can impact the measurement results. To ensure and prove that blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMSs) are robust in terms of potential interferents, manufacturers have to perform extensive evaluations.

Plasma Glucose Concentrations in Different Sampling Tubes Measured on Different Glucose Analysers.

Introduction: The German Diabetes Association recommends using sampling tubes with citrate and fluoride additives to diagnose diabetes by oral glucose tolerance test to inhibit glycolysis. The effect of different tubes on measurement results was assessed.

Materials And Methods: In a first study, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed on 41 participants without anamnestically known diabetes.

Fossils in Myanmar amber demonstrate the diversity of anti-predator strategies of Cretaceous holometabolan insect larvae.

Holometabolan larvae are a major part of the animal biomass and an important food source for many animals. Many larvae evolved anti-predator strategies and some of these can even be recognized in fossils. A Lagerstätte known for well-preserved holometabolan larvae is the approximately 100-million-year-old Kachin amber from Myanmar.

Comparator Data Characteristics and Testing Procedures for the Clinical Performance Evaluation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems.

Comparing the performance of different continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive guidelines for clinical study design. In particular, the absence of concise requirements for the distribution of comparator (reference) blood glucose (BG) concentrations and their rate of change (RoC) that are used to evaluate CGM performance, impairs comparability. For this article, several experts in the field of CGM performance testing have collaborated to propose characteristics of the distribution of comparator measurements that should be collected during CGM performance testing.

Effect of Arterialization on Venous Blood Glucose Concentrations and Implications for Observed Continuous Glucose Monitoring Accuracy.

Heating of the arm and/or hand ("arterialization") is sometimes used in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) performance studies with the reported aim of reducing differences between venous and capillary glucose concentrations. In this study, the effect of heating on venous glucose concentrations and CGM accuracy was investigated. A heating pad set to 50°C (122°F) was used with 20 participants to heat either the dominant or nondominant arm and hand.

Evaluation of System Accuracy, Precision, Hematocrit Influence, and User Performance of Two Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems Based on ISO 15197:2013/EN ISO 15197:2015.

Introduction: Sufficiently high analytical quality of blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMS) is a prerequisite for efficient diabetes therapy. In this study we assessed system accuracy, measurement repeatability, intermediate measurement precision, user performance, and the influence of hematocrit on two CE-marked blood glucose monitoring systems. For one BGMS, measurement accuracy using venous samples was additionally investigated.

Performance Assessment of Three Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.

Background: FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics, identified the nonmarket-approved continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, FiberSense system (FBS), as a potential device for use in low- and middle-income countries. Together with two market-approved, factory-calibrated CGM systems, namely, the FreeStyle Libre 2 (FL2) and the GlucoRx AiDEX (ADX), the FBS was subjected to a clinical performance evaluation.

Methods: Thirty adult participants with type 1 diabetes were enrolled.

The Morphological Diversity of Dragon Lacewing Larvae (Nevrorthidae, Neuroptera) Changed More over Geological Time Scales Than Anticipated.

Nevrorthidae, the group of dragon lacewings, has often been considered a relic group. Today, dragon lacewings show a scattered distribution, with some species occurring in southern Europe, Japan, Australia, and one in China. The idea that this distribution is only a remnant of an originally larger distribution is further supported by fossils of the group preserved in ambers from the Baltic region (Eocene, ca.

Clinical Performance Evaluation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems: A Scoping Review and Recommendations for Reporting.

The use of different approaches for design and results presentation of studies for the clinical performance evaluation of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems has long been recognized as a major challenge in comparing their results. However, a comprehensive characterization of the variability in study designs is currently unavailable. This article presents a scoping review of clinical CGM performance evaluations published between 2002 and 2022.

Quantitative analysis of lacewing larvae over more than 100 million years reveals a complex pattern of loss of morphological diversity.

Loss of biodiversity and especially insect decline are widely recognised in modern ecosystems. This decline has an enormous impact due to the crucial ecological roles of insects as well as their economic relevance. For comparison, the fossil record can provide important insights on past biodiversity losses.

An Expanded View on the Morphological Diversity of Long-Nosed Antlion Larvae Further Supports a Decline of Silky Lacewings in the Past 100 Million Years.

Lacewings have been suggested to be a relict group. This means that the group of lacewings, Neuroptera, should have been more diverse in the past, which also applies to many ingroups of Neuroptera. Psychopsidae, the group of silky lacewings, is one of the ingroups of Neuroptera which is relatively species-poor in the modern fauna.

A hatching aphidlion-like lacewing larva in 100 million years old Kachin amber.

We report a fossil aphidlion-like larva preserved with its egg case in 100 million year old Kachin amber, Myanmar. It appears to have been enclosed very shortly after hatching, especially when comparing it with extant aphidlions during hatching. Although hatching aphidlion-like larvae are known from amber from other localities, this is the first case from Myanmar amber, despite the comparably high number of lacewing larvae known from the latter.

User Performance Evaluation and System Accuracy Assessment of Four Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems With Color Coding of Measurement Results.

Background: Blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMSs) are a cornerstone in diabetes management. They have to provide sufficiently accurate results in the hands of lay users, particularly in insulin-treated patients. The aim of this study was user performance evaluation and system accuracy assessment of four BGMSs with color coding of results.

Continuous Glucose Deviation Interval and Variability Analysis (CG-DIVA): A Novel Approach for the Statistical Accuracy Assessment of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems.

Background: The accuracy of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems is crucial for the management of glucose levels in individuals with diabetes mellitus. However, the discussion of CGM accuracy is challenged by an abundance of parameters and assessment methods. The aim of this article is to introduce the Continuous Glucose Deviation Interval and Variability Analysis (CG-DIVA), a new approach for a comprehensive characterization of CGM point accuracy which is based on the U.

A Statistical Approach for Assessing the Compliance of Integrated Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems with Food and Drug Administration Accuracy Requirements.

To assess the compliance of "integrated" continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems with U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements, the calculation of confidence intervals (CIs) on agreement rates (ARs), that is, the percentage of CGM measurements lying within a certain deviation of a comparator method, is stipulated.

Improving the Bias of Comparator Methods in Analytical Performance Assessments Through Recalibration.

Background: In analytical performance studies, the choice of comparator method plays an important role, as studies have shown that there exist relevant systematic differences (bias) between laboratory analyzers. The feasibility of retrospective recalibration of measurement results through comparison with methods or materials of higher metrological order to minimize bias was therefore assessed.

Method: Existing data from performance studies of continuous and blood glucose monitoring systems were retrospectively analyzed.

The Morphological Diversity of Antlion Larvae and Their Closest Relatives over 100 Million Years.

Among lacewings (Neuroptera), representatives of the groups Ascalaphidae (owlflies) and Myrmeleontidae (antlions) are likely the most widely known ones. The exact taxonomic status of the two groups remains currently unclear, each may in fact be nested in the other group. Herein, we refer to the group including representatives of both with the neutral term "owllion".