A new species of treefrog (Litoria: Pelodryadidae) from the karstic South-fold Mountains of New Guinea.

The frog fauna of New Guinea is exceptionally diverse but very poorly known. Here we describe a new species of pelodryadid treefrog that is currently known only from two specimens from a single site in Hela Province in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Genetic data show that the new species is closely related to the torrent-breeding species Litoria angiana (Boulenger, 1915) from which it can be readily distinguished by its more slender body and limbs, relatively long forelimbs, and aspects of body colouration and tuberculation.

Nuclear spin relaxation in aqueous paramagnetic ion solutions.

A Brownian shell model describing the random rotational motion of a spherical shell of uniform particle density is presented and validated by molecular dynamics simulations. The model is applied to proton spin rotation in aqueous paramagnetic ion complexes to yield an expression for the Larmor-frequency-dependent nuclear magnetic resonance spin-lattice relaxation rate T_{1}^{-1}(ω) describing the dipolar coupling of the nuclear spin of the proton with the electronic spin of the ion. The Brownian shell model provides a significant enhancement to existing particle-particle dipolar models without added complexity, allowing fits to experimental T_{1}^{-1}(ω) dispersion curves without arbitrary scaling parameters.

Melanesia holds the world's most diverse and intact insular amphibian fauna.

Identifying hotspots of biological diversity is a key step in conservation prioritisation. Melanesia-centred on the vast island of New Guinea-is increasingly recognised for its exceptionally species-rich and endemic biota. Here we show that Melanesia has the world's most diverse insular amphibian fauna, with over 7% of recognised global frog species in less than 0.

Digital Transformation of Faculty Development: Responding and Supporting Academia During Disruptions Caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic disrupted the current practices for teaching and learning in medical and health professions education, creating challenges and opportunities for rapid transition. The authors describe how McMaster University's Program for Faculty Development (MacPFD) responded to this disruption by engaging in a digital transformation.

Methods: The digital transformation process of MacPFD was mapped to the conceptual framework of digital transformation: Vial's building blocks of the framework.

Cryptic extinction risk in a western Pacific lizard radiation.

Unlabelled: Cryptic ecologies, the Wallacean Shortfall of undocumented species' geographical ranges and the Linnaean Shortfall of undescribed diversity, are all major barriers to conservation assessment. When these factors overlap with drivers of extinction risk, such as insular distributions, the number of threatened species in a region or clade may be underestimated, a situation we term 'cryptic extinction risk'. The genus is a diverse radiation of insular and arboreal geckos that occurs across the western Pacific.

Water as a Lévy Rotor.

A probability density function describing the angular evolution of a fixed-length atom-atom vector as a Lévy rotor is derived containing just two dynamical parameters: the Lévy parameter α and a rotational time constant τ. A Lévy parameter α<2 signals anomalous (non-Brownian) motion. Molecular dynamics simulation of water at 298 K validates the probability density function for the intramolecular ^{1}H─^{1}H dynamics.

The living heart: Climate gradients predict desert mountain endemism.

Mountain regions are centers of biodiversity endemism at a global scale but the role of arid-zone mountain ranges in shaping biodiversity patterns is poorly understood. Focusing on three guilds of taxa from a desert upland refugium in Australia, we sought to determine: (a) the relative extent to which climate, terrain or geological substrate predict endemism, and (b) whether patterns of endemism are complimentary across broad taxonomic guilds. We mapped regional endemism for plants, land snails, and vertebrates using combined Species Distribution Models (SDMs) for all endemic taxa ( = 82).

Decision Tree Pattern Recognition Model for Radio Frequency Interference Suppression in NQR Experiments.

Radio frequency interference places a major limitation on the in-situ use of unshielded nuclear quadrupole or nuclear magnetic resonance methods in industrial environments for quality control and assurance applications. In this work, we take the detection of contraband in an airport security-type application that is subject to burst mode radio frequency interference as a test case. We show that a machine learning decision tree model is ideally suited to the automated identification of interference bursts, and can be used in support of automated interference suppression algorithms.

Correction to 'Young relicts and old relicts: a novel palaeoendemic vertebrate from the Australian Central Uplands'.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160018.

Habitat as a mediator of mesopredator-driven mammal extinction.

A prevailing view in dryland systems is that mammals are constrained by the scarcity of fertile soils and primary productivity. An alternative view is that predation is a primary driver of mammal assemblages, especially in Australia, where 2 introduced mesopredators-feral cat (Felis catus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes)-are responsible for severe declines of dryland mammals. We evaluated productivity and predation as drivers of native mammal assemblage structure in dryland Australia.

Young relicts and old relicts: a novel palaeoendemic vertebrate from the Australian Central Uplands.

Climatic change, and in particular aridification, has played a dominant role in shaping Southern Hemisphere biotas since the mid-Neogene. In Australia, ancient and geologically stable ranges within the vast arid zone have functioned as refugia for populations of mesic taxa extirpated from surrounding areas, yet the extent to which relicts may be linked to major aridification events before or after the Pliocene has not been examined in detail. Here we use molecular phylogenetic and morphological data to show that isolated populations of saxicoline geckos in the genus from the Australian Central Uplands, formerly confounded as a single taxon, actually comprise two divergent species with contrasting histories of isolation.

The role of refuges in the persistence of Australian dryland mammals.

Irruptive population dynamics are characteristic of a wide range of fauna in the world's arid (dryland) regions. Recent evidence indicates that regional persistence of irruptive species, particularly small mammals, during the extensive dry periods of unpredictable length that occur between resource pulses in drylands occurs as a result of the presence of refuge habitats or refuge patches into which populations contract during dry (bust) periods. These small dry-period populations act as a source of animals when recolonisation of the surrounding habitat occurs during and after subsequent resource pulses (booms).

Filling of three-dimensional space by two-dimensional sheet growth.

Models of three-dimensional space filling based on growth of two-dimensional sheets are proposed. Beginning from planar Eden-style growth of sheets, additional growth modes are introduced. These enable the sheets to form layered or disordered structures.

Dynamic in vivo mapping of model moisturiser ingress into human skin by GARfield MRI.

We describe the development of in vivo one-dimensional MRI (profiling) using a GARField (Gradient At Right angles to Field) magnet for the characterisation of side-of-hand human skin. For the first time and in vivo, we report measurements of the NMR longitudinal and transverse relaxation parameters and self-diffusivity of the upper layers of human skin with a nominal spatial resolution better than 10 µm. The results are correlated with in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy measurements of water concentration and natural moisturiser factors, and discussed in terms of known skin biology and microstructure of the stratum corneum and viable epidermis.

Angiogenesis and hypoxic factors in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a common cause of cancer death in the developed world. Angiogenesis is a key factor in the growth and dissemination of malignant disease, including colorectal cancer, with significant implications for its clinical management. Over the past few years, significant inroads have been made into understanding the mechanisms and processes of angiogenesis in various malignancies.

Two-dimensional correlation relaxation studies of cement pastes.

Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation correlation studies of cement pastes have been performed on a unilateral magnet, the Surface GARField. Through these measurements, the hydration process can be observed by monitoring the evolution of porosity. Characteristic relaxation time distributions have been observed in different cement pastes: fresh white cement, prehydrated white cement and ordinary Portland cement.

Observations of coarsening of air voids in a polymer-highly-soluble crystalline matrix during dissolution.

A combination of magnetic resonance imaging and x-ray microcomputed tomography has been used to visualize the development of the internal micro-structure within compressed tablets made from a combination of insoluble particles (Eudragit, a polymer) and soluble particles (diltiazem hydrochloride, a drug), during dissolution in water. Air voids in the tablet are seen to coarsen. The size distribution of the air voids is well fitted by a log-normal distribution with a mean size that grows linearly with time.

Up-regulation of collagen and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase in colonic diverticular disease.

Purpose: Thickening of the muscularis propria is a key pathologic feature of colonic diverticulosis but its cause is unknown. This study was designed to investigate the role of collagens, matrix metalloproteinases, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in colonic diverticulosis.

Methods: Collagen content was determined by Sircol Collagen Assay and standard van Gieson staining.

Measurement of the diffusion of liquids into dental restorative resins by stray-field nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (STRAFI).

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the diffusion mechanism for water/ethanol mixtures in a diacrylate dental resin by direct observation of the absorbed liquid profiles using NMR microimaging.

Methods: Frequency-swept stray-field magnetic resonance imaging (STRAFI) was used. Solutions containing 25-65% by volume ethanol remained in contact with visible light cured 54% TEGDMA: 46% modified TUDMA sheets while measurements were made.

Patient perceptions of MRSA.

Drug-resistant nosocomial infections are an increasing problem. This issue has received considerable media coverage. To our knowledge there have been no studies investigating patient awareness and perceptions of nosocomial infections.

The effectiveness of coordinated care for people with chronic respiratory disease.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of coordinated care for chronic respiratory disease.

Design And Setting: Community-based geographical control study, in western (intervention) and northern (comparison) metropolitan Adelaide (SA).

Participants: 377 adults (223 intervention; 154 comparison) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma or other chronic respiratory condition, July 1997 to December 1999.