This table contains one row for each kit or protocol that may be used to assay for the concentration of a hormone in a sample. In addition to general information about the kit or protocol (e.g. the assayed hormone, description/discussion), this table also records information regarding how different kits/protocols for the same hormone can be compared to each other.

The Correction column indicates how — or if — results from this kit/protocol should be used with results from other kits/protocols that assay the same hormone. To do this, it indicates what adjustments should be made to correct the "raw" results from this kit. The ESTROGENS, GLUCOCORTICOIDS, HORMONE_RESULTS, PROGESTERONES, TESTOSTERONES and THYROID_HORMONES views all use this column and the corrected_hormone() function to calculate a "corrected" concentration, so all values in this column must be legal correction inputs for that function. Specifically: the text in this column must be readable as a mathematical expression for how the "raw" value should be adjusted, and when referring to the "raw" value, the string %s must be used. See corrected_hormone() for examples of how these values should be recorded.

The system will return a warning for any rows whose Correction does not include a %s.

When the Correction column is NULL, this is interpreted to mean that it is unknown how to use or compare the kit's results with data from other kits. In related views that provide a "corrected" concentration, this corrected concentration for these results may be NULL (as in HORMONE_RESULTS), or the result may be omitted entirely (as in ESTROGENS, GLUCOCORTICOIDS, etc.).

This table contains one row for every laboratory preparation that was performed on a sample as part of a specific series. Each preparation is recorded with a date, and textual comments may be also be noted.

Each row's preparation must have taken place after the hormone sample was freeze-dried and sifted. That is, each row's Procedure_Date cannot be before the related HORMONE_SAMPLE_DATA.FzDried_Date and Sifted_Date columns.

The procedure cannot occur more than once in the same series. That is, the Procedure must be unique to the HPSId.

The system will return a warning if an ethanol extraction is recorded in the same series as any other preps^[177].

This table contains one row for each series of laboratory preparations and hormone measurements performed on a specific sample.

It seems worthwhile to use an example to illustrate the meaning of a "series" in this context.

Similar to Miss Muffet, the process of measuring hormones extracted from a tissue sample is divided into preparatory procedures (in HORMONE_PREP_DATA) and results (in HORMONE_RESULT_DATA), and multiple preparation events may apply to each of multiple results. Their troublesome "many-to-many" relationship is managed by this table, in which related events are grouped into a single series.

This table includes a Series column, which identifies the series for the sample. The first row for a sample in this table must have a Series of 1, the second should be 2, and so on. To allow editing or reordering this value, this rule is only checked after the current transaction is committed.

This table contains one row for the result of every assay performed to measure a hormone concentration in a sample. In addition to the assay's result — the concentration in nanograms of hormone metabolite per gram of fecal sample — each row records the series (from HORMONE_PREP_SERIES) to which this result belongs, the date of the assay, the identity of the "kit" or protocol used to perform the assay, and the mass of sample from which this hormone was extracted. Textual comments may be also be noted.

Each row's assay must have taken place after all related preparatory procedures were performed. That is, each row's Assay_Date cannot be before the Procedure_Date of any HORMONE_PREP_DATA rows from the same series (with the same HPSId).

When assay results are generated in the lab, a sample may undergo more than one assay for the same hormone. When there are multiple results, it becomes necessary to determine what the "right" concentration for the sample actually is. Often, it may be best to use the average of all results. In some cases, the results from one kit may be universally preferred over results from another kit. And so on. Laboratory and data managers are presumed to be better-qualified to make such decisions, so those decisions should be made before adding data to this table. To help ensure that this is occurring, a hormone sample cannot have more than one result for each hormone, regardless of the series and the Kit. That is, the combination of the related HORMONE_PREP_SERIES.TId and HORMONE_KITS.Hormone must be unique^[178].

The mass of fecal sample that was extracted and measured in the assay is recorded in the Grams_Used column. This column should not be NULL. However, in some rare circumstances the mass can be unknown, in which case the column will be NULL. Regardless, this is expected to be rare. The system will return a warning for any assay whose Grams_Used is NULL.

This table contains one row for every tissue sample used for hormone analysis; generally for hormone analysis these will be fecal samples. For each sample, the table records data that are only relevant to hormone analysis and would thus be inappropriate for inclusion in the TISSUE_DATA table.

For various logistical reasons, it is often not practical for lab personnel to use the database's unique identifier for a sample (its TId) in the lab. Instead, they use a system of their own. The unique identifier used by hormone lab personnel — the "Hormone Sample ID" — is indicated in the HSId column^[179].

To analyze a fecal sample for its hormone content, the sample must first be freeze-dried. Following that, the dry sample is sifted into a fine powder, at which point it is ready for whatever preparations are necessary for hormone analysis. The dates that the fecal sample is freeze-dried and sifted are recorded in this table, in the FzDried_Date and Sifted_Date columns, respectively.

A fecal sample cannot be sifted before it is freeze-dried; its Sifted_Date must be on or after its FzDried_Date.

This table attempts to keep an ongoing record of a fecal sample's remaining mass in the Avail_Mass_g column. It is left to the user to judge this column's accuracy, which depends greatly on how diligently the lab personnel keep the data manager(s) informed of changes. To assist users in making these judgments, the date that the Avail_Mass_g was last updated is recorded in the Avail_Date column. A sample's remaining mass cannot be recorded without also recording this date; the Avail_Mass_g and Avail_Date columns must both be NULL or both non-NULL.

Preparing a fecal sample for hormone extraction and any subsequent handling of the sample must be after the sample was collected. That is, all dates in this table (FzDried_Date, Sifted_Date, Avail_Date) must be after the sample's related TISSUE_DATA.Collection_Date.

A table listing each analysis that has been performed to generate genetic hybrid scores for individual baboons, with basic information about each analysis.

Each analysis combines statistical techniques with the genetic data available at the time to estimate what proportion of each individual's genome came from ancestry of a specified other species^[180]. These estimates are the so-called “hybrid scores”. After several years have elapsed, more individuals are available for scoring, which prompts a new analysis. For many reasons, each analysis may yield somewhat different scores for the same individual. A more-recent analysis does not necessarily negate or supersede an older one, so all analyses are stored here.

The HYBRIDGENE_ANALYSES.Date must be after the BIOGRAPH.Entrydate of all individuals scored in that analysis in HYBRIDGENE_SCORES. Similarly, the system will return a warning for each individual scored in an analysis where the related Date is before the individual's LatestBirth.

A table listing all the hybrid scores determined by genetic hybridity analyses. Hybridity analyses use statistical tools that may also determine upper and lower confidence intervals^[181]. This table also stores those values, if any.

The combination of Sname and HGAId must be unique.

In some analyses, upper and lower confidence intervals are not generated, in which case the Upper_Conf and Lower_Conf will be NULL. The system will return a warning in this case.

If either Upper_Conf or Lower_Conf is provided, then the other must also; the Upper_Conf and Lower_Conf must both be NULL or both non-NULL.

When the confidence columns are not NULL, the individual's Score must be greater than its Lower_Conf (inclusive), and less than its Upper_Conf (inclusive).

(This table is in development. It does not exist in Babase, and if it ever does come to Babase it might be quite different from how it is described here.)

This table records the observers for the hybrid morphology reports, one row for each observer.

A report cannot have the same observer more than once; each HMRId-Observer must be unique.

(This table is in development. It does not exist in Babase, and if it ever does come to Babase it might be quite different from how it is described here.)

This table contains one row for each time an individual's hybrid morphology is assessed and scored. For details about these scoring events, see the Amboseli Baboon Research Project Monitoring Guide.

An individual cannot be scored before they were first observed, nor after they were last seen alive; the Date cannot be before the individual's Entrydate nor after their Statdate.

Individuals are not scored more than once per day; each Sname-Date pair in this table is unique.

A hybrid score report includes the name of the baboon group in which the scored individual lives. Recorded in the Grp column, this value is provided by the observer(s) and is useful for finding the original paper sheet where the scores were recorded.

It is difficult to recognize in real time when a group fission/fusion has begun or ended, so the observer(s) might record a Grp that — according to GROUPS — no longer exists. The system will return a warning for any row in this table whose Grp did not exist on the indicated Date.

(This table is in development. It does not exist in Babase, and if it ever does come to Babase it might be quite different from how it is described here.)

This table contains the hybrid morphology scores that the observer(s) recorded for each of the various traits. Each row is a single score for a single trait.

An individual cannot be scored more than once at a time for a single trait; every HMRId-Trait must be unique.

Scores are recorded for seven traits: 1) coat color, 2) hair length, 3) body shape, 4) head shape, 5) tail length and thickness, 6) tail bend at the "hook", and 7) muzzle skin. See the Amboseli Baboon Research Project Monitoring Guide for more information.

Which traits are scored depends on the age and sex of the individual. Adults — females age 4 or higher, males age 5 or higher — are scored on all seven traits. Juveniles — females under 4, males under 5 — are only scored on the first five. It is an error to record a score for those last two traits if the scored individual is a juvenile on the related Date.

If a report has scored an individual for any trait, there should be scores recorded for all the traits, juveniles and the last two traits notwithstanding. The system will return a warning for any HMRId that does not have scores for all of its expected traits.