Inverse sampling of controls in a matched case control study

A method of inverse sampling of controls in a matched case-control study is described in which, for each case, controls are sampled until a discordant set is achieved. For a binary exposure, inverse sampling is used to determine the number of controls for each case. When most individuals in a population have the same exposure, standard case-control sampling may result in many case-control sets being concordant with respect to exposure and thus uninformative in the conditional logistic analysis. The method using inverse control sampling is proposed as a solution to this problem in situations when it is practically feasible. In many circumstances, inverse control sampling is found to offer improved statistical efficiency relative to a comparable study with a fixed number of controls per case.     

Efficiency of sampling methods for accurate estimation of species richness of corticolous microlichens in the Atlantic rainforest of northeastern Brazil

Three different sampling methods were compared with regard to accurate estimation of species richness of crustose and microfoliose lichens in Atlantic rainforest remnants of northeastern Brazil. Quantitative transect sampling yielded three times as many species as non-quantitative opportunistic sampling, even if the number of sampled phorophyte trees was higher on average for the latter method. Repetitive non-quantitative opportunistic sampling of a single site resulted in twice the number of species than one-time sampling, but only two thirds of the number recovered by means of quantitative transect sampling, even of the number of sampled phorophyte trees was highest for this method. The analysis showed that opportunistic sampling fails to detect rare, inconspicuous, sterile, and/or cryptic species, usually neglected or overlooked even by the experienced collector upon visual inspection in the field. On the other hand, quantitative sampling forces even the inexperienced collector to sample lichen thalli or pieces of bark which only after detailed morphological, anatomical, and chemical study in the laboratory reveal themselves as distinct species. Accordingly, of the 456 lichen species collected and identified across the 22 studied localities, no less than 76 were unique to the quantitatively sampled transect, and the lichen species sampled with this method had a significantly higher proportion of rare, inconspicuous, sterile, and/or cryptic species. It is also apparent that it is not the higher number of specimens collected via quantitative sampling that results in a higher number of species, but the method of selection of the specimens, which is subjective and biased towards abundant, conspicuous, fertile and/or distinctive species in opportunistic sampling, but objective and unbiased in quantitative sampling.     

Optimal sampling in retrospective logistic regression via two-stage method

Case-control sampling is popular in epidemiological research because of its cost and time saving. In a logistic regression model, with limited knowledge on the covariance matrix of the point estimator of the regression coefficients a priori, there exists no fixed sample size analysis. In this study, we propose a two-stage sequential analysis, in which the optimal sample fraction and the required sample size to achieve a predetermined volume of a joint confidence set are estimated in an interim analysis. Additionally required observations are collected in the second stage according to the estimated optimal sample fraction. At the end of the experiment, data from these two stages are combined and analyzed for statistical inference. Simulation studies are conducted to justify the proposed two-stage procedure and an example is presented for illustration. It is found that the proposed two-stage procedure performs adequately in the sense that the resultant joint confidence set has a well-controlled volume and achieves the required coverage probability. Furthermore, the optimal sample fractions among all the selected scenarios are close to one. Hence, the proposed procedure can be simplified by always considering a balance design.     

Macroinvertebrate sampling methods for lowland Australian rivers

The macroinvertebrate communities of large lowlandrivers are little studied, partly because of the lackof suitable collection methods. In this study, fourmacroinvertebrate collecting methods: two artificialsubstrates, snags and onion-bag baskets; air-liftsampling of soft sediments; and sweep net sampling ofedges (including macrophyte stands where theyoccurred) were trialed in four lowland rivers withinthe Murray-Darling Basin in southeastern Australia. The subset of the macroinvertebrate communitycollected by each method was determined and the numberof replicates needed for a given degree of precisionwas estimated. Sweep samples were dominated byhemipterans and were the best method for collectingdecapods and beetles. The other three methodscollected mostly chironomid, caenid mayfly and ecnomidcaddisfly larvae and oligochaetes. The artificialsnag and basket samples had surprisingly similarcompositions but the snag samples did contain sometaxa, such as Dicrotendipes, Paratanytarsus andwood-boring beetles, that basket samples did not. Thedensities of macroinvertebrates collected byartificial snags, sweep and air-lift samples weresimilar. We concluded that each of the methods couldbe used in lowland rivers but for different purposes. For example, if quantitative data are needed, onlyair-lifts and snags would be appropriate, whereas ifa species list is required, snags and sweeps would bemost effective.     

Evaluation of aerial sampling methods for detecting waterbird colonies

ABSTRACT Estimating the number of waterbird colonies in a given area can have important conservation implications, including assessment of the regional or global importance of an area and the impacts of conservation efforts (e.g., habitat restoration) and human disturbance (e.g., oil spills). Our objective was to examine differences in estimates of the number of waterbird colonies determined using strip‐transect (ST) surveys, distance sampling, and adaptive cluster sampling (ACS), and to compare these estimates to the minimum number of known colonies (MNKC) obtained using point‐to‐point surveys. We conducted aerial surveys in May 2004 and May and June 2005 at two sites in southern Louisiana: the Atchafalaya Basin (AB), a large forested wetland, and the Barataria‐Terrebonne estuary (BTE), a large coastal marsh with isolated clumps of woody vegetation suitable for nesting. In AB, we detected nine and eight colonies using the ACS and ST/distance sampling methods, respectively. Neither ACS estimator of number of colonies (Horvitz–Thompson and Hansen–Hurwitz) was within the 95% confidence interval of the estimate determined from ST; ST estimated—two to three times more colonies than either ACS estimator. The MNKC for the AB was 33, well within the 95% confidence interval of ? by ST sampling. For the BTE, ACS estimators (?_HT= 20.49, CI = 9.3–31.7; ?_HH= 14.15, CI = 2.3–26.0) were similar to the MNKC (20), whereas the ST (?= 87.94, CI = 82.9–92.9) and distance sampling (?= 60, CI = 31–113) methods produced much larger estimates. Our results suggest that the ACS method performed better when waterbird colonies were spatially clumped (BTE) and the ST method performed better in areas where colonies were more uniformly distributed (AB). Depending on management objectives, a complete, systematic survey of a study area may be required if the potential for missing large colonies is unacceptable. If surveying an area with no previous information about colony location or dispersion, we recommend a coarse‐scale analysis of the availability and contiguity of habitat likely to contain waterbird colonies; this analysis will help determine the most appropriate survey method.     

Comparing four simple,inexpensive methods for sampling forest arthropod communities

Terrestrial arthropods are diverse, and quantifying their availability to consumers is important for understanding both consumer and insect distribution, abundance, and communities. However, characterizing arthropod communities in complex forest ecosystems is challenging. We compared arthropod communities in a wet‐limestone forest in Jamaica during the dry season sampled by four methods: branch clips, sweep netting, and sticky traps applied to tree trunks and hanging free of vegetation. We found no effect of relative height in the canopy for the two methods that could be used at different heights, i.e., hanging sticky traps and branch clips. In addition, the arthropod community sampled changed over time (season) for sweep nets and branch clips. We also found that branch clips and sweep nets sampled more arthropod taxa than the two sticky‐trap methods. In addition, branch clips and sweep nets sampled more ants and spiders than the two sticky‐trap methods, whereas collar sticky traps on tree trunks sampled more bark lice (Psocoptera), and hanging sticky traps more flies (Diptera) than the other methods. Percentages of flying insects and strong‐flying insects sampled did not differ between sweep netting and branch clipping, but a higher percentage of both groups were captured with collar and hanging sticky traps. Because we found that the different methods sampled different subsets of the arthropod community, both taxonomically and in terms of aerial versus non‐aerial taxa, investigators should choose the arthropod sampling methods that most closely align with their focal species and study questions. For example, investigators might use collar traps for studies of bark gleaners, hanging sticky traps for aerial foragers, and branch clips or sweep nets for foliage gleaners. Alternatively, if a focal species is known to prefer certain prey items, investigators may instead select a method that effectively samples those prey taxa. Finally, for some studies, using multiple sampling methods may be the best option.     

生物物种资源监测原则与指标及抽样设计方法

生物物种资源监测是了解生物物种资源现状、开展生物物种资源保护与管理的基础工作和重要手段.阐述了生物物种资源监测的科学性原则、可操作性原则和持续性原则.提出了监测计划的制定程序;监测计划应充分考虑所具有的人力、资金和后勤保障等条件,并进行定期评估.分析了指示物种在物种资源监测中的作用与不足;认为应选择具有不同生态需求和生活史的生物类群作为监测对象.讨论了监测指标的选取方法;监测指标应可测量、有科学基础、易被公众接受、低成本和高效益;监测方法应具有科学性,能检测到相应的变化,应采用高效率、低成本的标准化监测方法.分析了现有监测计划在抽样设计方面存在的问题,探讨了空间变异性和可检测率对监测数据误差的影响及其处理方式,讨论了样本量确定和监测样地的大小、形状及位置设计.监测样地要有较好的代表性,能在有限的监测面积中较好地反映监测区域内群落种类组成与数量特征.最后,讨论了生物物种资源监测的尺度和标准化问题.     

蚯蚓野外采样方法评述

蚯蚓作为土壤生态系统的关键组成部分,不但可以改善土壤结构,而且与许多生物化学养分循环直接相关,对土壤质量改善和土壤生产力提高起到至关重要的作用.然而,蚯蚓野外采样方法的系统研究和评估还比较缺乏,在国内尤其少见.本文综述了目前国内外常见蚯蚓野外采样方法的操作过程、优缺点、有效性以及对蚯蚓种群特征研究结果可能产生的影响,认为在允许扰动土壤的区域,利用驱虫剂与手拣法相结合进行蚯蚓采样能够较为准确地反映蚯蚓种群和生物量的真实特征;在不能扰动土壤的区域异硫氰酸烯丙酯(AITC)溶液方法是最佳选择.     

Optimising sampling methods for small mammal communities in Neotropical rainforests

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Comparison of two methods for sampling invertebrates: vacuum and sweep‐net sampling

ABSTRACT With numerous invertebrate sampling techniques available, deciding which technique to use under certain circumstances may be difficult. Many researchers interested in invertebrate abundance and availability relative to the foraging ecology of birds may use a technique (e.g., vacuum sampling or sweep‐netting) without understanding the impacts their choice may have on the samples collected and the ability of the method to meet research objectives. We compared the characteristics, including overall biomass, morphospecies richness, average size, diversity, and body length categories, of invertebrates collected using a sweep‐net and a Dietrick vacuum sampler along paired transects in Woodward County, Oklahoma, from May to July 2007 and 2008. These sampling techniques differed in the taxa collected, with the orders Diptera, Homoptera, and Hymenoptera dominating vacuum samples and the orders Homoptera, Orthoptera, and Araneae dominating sweep‐net samples. Although morphospecies richness was similar for the two techniques, the mean size of invertebrates collected and overall invertebrate biomass were greater for sweep‐netting than vacuum sampling. Vacuum sampling was more effective at collecting small (e.g., <5 cm) invertebrates, whereas sweep‐netting captured large (>5 cm) Orthopteran and Lepidopteran larvae at higher rates. Thus, our results indicate that neither sampling method effectively sampled all invertebrate families and investigators should be aware of the potential biases of different sampling techniques and be certain that the technique selected will allow study objectives to be met.     

Activity traps and the corer: complementary methods for sampling aquatic invertebrates

We compared the picture of aquatic invertebrate fauna given by three types of sampling methods: the corer as well as bottom and mid-water activity traps. The corer mainly caught benthic animals (89%), the most numerous groups of which were chironomids and sphaerids. Nekton was more abundant in activity traps (77% in bottom and 63% in mid-water), the most numerous groups were Cladocera and water mites. The size distributions in catch of the corer and the activity traps differed but there was no difference between the two types of activity traps. In activity traps, individuals of the smallest size class were most abundant, wheras animals of the second smallest size class were most numerous in the corer. We suggest that activity traps and the corer could be used as complementary methods to sample aquatic invertebrate communities.     

马尾松-栎类天然混交林群落最小面积确定及方法比较

用种面积曲线和群落系数面积曲线的方法对宜昌梅子垭地区一种主要植物群落类型的最小面积进行了研究。结果表明,对所研究的植被类型,样地布置为 １０ｍ ×１０ｍ 及２０ｍ ×２０ｍ 可满足不同研究精度的要求。群落系统面积曲线和种面积曲线一样,比较直观。虽然取样调查时工作量稍大,但运用群落系数面积曲线的方法可更多地包含种类组成及群落结构随面积而变化的信息,所确定的最小面积也能够真实地反映整个群落种类组成及结构的特征。     

Comparative evaluation of vacuum-based surface sampling methods for collection of Bacillus spores

In this study, four commonly-used sampling devices (vacuum socks, 37 mm 0.8 μm mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter cassettes, 37 mm 0.3 μm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter cassettes, and 3M™ forensic filters) were comparatively evaluated for their ability to recover surface-associated spores. Aerosolized spores (~ 10⁵ CFU cm^− 2) of a Bacillus anthracis surrogate were allowed to settle onto three material types (concrete, carpet, and upholstery). Ten replicate samples were collected using each vacuum method, from each material type. Stainless steel surfaces, inoculated simultaneously with test materials, were sampled with pre-moistened wipes. Wipe recoveries were utilized to normalize vacuum-based recoveries across trials. Recovery (CFU cm^− 2) and relative recovery (vacuum recovery/wipe recovery) were determined for each method and material type. Recoveries and relative recoveries ranged from 3.8 × 10³ to 7.4 × 10⁴ CFU cm^− 2 and 0.035 to 1.242, respectively. ANOVA results indicated that the 37 mm MCE method exhibited higher relative recoveries than the other methods when used for sampling concrete or upholstery. While the vacuum sock resulted in the highest relative recoveries on carpet, no statistically significant difference was detected. The results of this study may be used to guide selection of sampling approaches following biological contamination incidents.     

农田节肢动物不同取样方法的综合比较

农田节肢动物多样性具有病虫害控制、传粉等价值, 选择一种或多种适宜、准确且高效的取样方法和指示类群来衡量农田节肢动物多样性是一项基础性工作。本文通过地表陷阱法、挂盆陷阱法、扫网法、目测计数法和吸虫器法在有机管理和常规管理农田区的不同农业生境类型中取样, 比较不同方法对不同生物类群的捕获效率、经济成本、响应敏感性等。研究发现在捕获效率方面, 地陷法和挂盆法最高, 其次是扫网法, 而吸虫器法和目测计数法较差。挂盆法对步甲、蜘蛛、蜂类和瓢虫类群的捕获效率较佳。陷阱法主要适用于蜘蛛和步甲的取样, 扫网法也可用于蜘蛛和瓢虫的取样。在经济成本方面, 地陷法的成本最低, 扫网法的总成本最高。每种取样方法下仅有个别类群个体数量具有较好的响应敏感性, 如地陷法的蜘蛛目个体数和步甲科个体数、挂盆法的总个体数、蜂类个体数和瓢虫科个体数、扫网法的直翅目个体数和半翅目个体数等。在此基础上, 综合类群经济价值, 操作难易, 类群鉴定难度, 被动取样程度, 是否受取样人影响等比较发现: 地陷法对步甲和蜘蛛的取样的综合效果最佳, 而不同取样方法下多种类群的组合能更好地监测和评价农田节肢动物多样性的整体情况。地陷法捕获步甲或/和蜘蛛以及挂盆法调查蜂类的组合是基于本研究得出的调查农田节肢动物多样性的最佳组合。     

蚯蚓野外采样方法评述

蚯蚓作为土壤生态系统的关键组成部分,不但可以改善土壤结构,而且与许多生物化学养分循环直接相关,对土壤质量改善和土壤生产力提高起到至关重要的作用.然而,蚯蚓野外采样方法的系统研究和评估还比较缺乏,在国内尤其少见.本文综述了目前国内外常见蚯蚓野外采样方法的操作过程、优缺点、有效性以及对蚯蚓种群特征研究结果可能产生的影响,认为在允许扰动土壤的区域,利用驱虫剂与手拣法相结合进行蚯蚓采样能够较为准确地反映蚯蚓种群和生物量的真实特征;在不能扰动土壤的区域异硫氰酸烯丙酯(AITC)溶液方法是最佳选择.