bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite from bovine bone for production of dental implants
Authors: Odusote Jamiu K , Danyuo Y , Baruwa Abdulazeez D , Azeez Akeem A
Published: May 2019

This paper presents a study on the synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite that can be used to produce dental implants or serves as a replacement for other body hard tissues. The bioceramic material (hydroxyapatite) was derived from bovine bone samples after they were de-fatted and processed to produce particles measuring less than 250 μm. Processed bone powders were calcinated at 750℃ to obtain calcium phosphate compound (hydroxyapatite). This indicated complete elimination of the organic phase of the bone. The synthesized hydroxyapatite was physico-chemically characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hydroxyapatite powder was sintered into a block and then characterized mechanically by measuring its hardness using a Rockwell hardness testing machine. The hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the sintered blocked specimens were studied. The average wettability of the substrate, which was a characteristic of the contact angle, was found to be approximately 31.73 degrees. This contact angle value is a measure of the material hydrophilicity. The biostability/corrosive resistance of the sintered samples was simulated in vitro in phosphate buffered saline solution (pH 7.4) by incubating in an optical incubator shaker (set at 60 revolutions per minute) to mimic physiological conditions. The results showed that hydroxyapatite can be extracted economically from a natural source such as bovine bone and can be employed as a restorative biomaterial for dental implants and hard tissue replacement.
Effects of spermidine supplementation on cognition and biomarkers in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SmartAge)—study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wirth Miranka , Schwarz Claudia , Benson Gloria , Horn Nora , Buchert Ralph , Lange Catharina , Köbe Theresa , Hetzer Stefan , Maglione Marta , Michael Eva , Märschenz Stefanie , Mai Knut , Kopp Ute , Schmitz Dietmar , Grittner Ulrike , Sigrist Stephan J. , Stekovic Slaven , Madeo Frank , Flöel Agnes
Published: May 2019

Background

Given the global increase in the aging population and age-related diseases, the promotion of healthy aging is one of the most crucial public health issues. This trial aims to contribute to the establishment of effective approaches to promote cognitive and brain health in older individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Presence of SCD is known to increase the risk of objective cognitive decline and progression to dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, it is our primary goal to determine whether spermidine supplementation has a positive impact on memory performance in this at-risk group, as compared with placebo. The secondary goal is to examine the effects of spermidine intake on other neuropsychological, behavioral, and physiological parameters.

Methods

The SmartAge trial is a monocentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIb trial. The study will investigate 12 months of intervention with spermidine-based nutritional supplementation (target intervention) compared with 12 months of placebo intake (control intervention). We plan to recruit 100 cognitively normal older individuals with SCD from memory clinics, neurologists and general practitioners in private practice, and the general population. Participants will be allocated to one of the two study arms using blockwise randomization stratified by age and sex with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The primary outcome is the change in memory performance between baseline and post-intervention visits (12 months after baseline). Secondary outcomes include the change in memory performance from baseline to follow-up assessment (18 months after baseline), as well as changes in neurocognitive, behavioral, and physiological parameters (including blood and neuroimaging biomarkers), assessed at baseline and post-intervention.

Discussion

The SmartAge trial aims to provide evidence of the impact of spermidine supplementation on memory performance in older individuals with SCD. In addition, we will identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms of action underlying the anticipated cognitive benefits. Overall, this trial will contribute to the establishment of nutrition intervention in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT03094546. Registered 29 March 2017—retrospectively registered.

Protocol version

Based on EA1/250/16 version 1.5
The Importance of Being Frank
Authors: Xin Wendy Veronica
Published: May 2019

This essay reads several “hidden” scenes in Jane Austen's Emma. Willfully drawing attention to stray details—an impulsive trip to London to get his hair cut, the mysterious gift of a piano, and a broken pair of spectacles—Frank Churchill uses these incidents to turn the narrator's attention, and the town's gossip, away from his secret engagement to the impoverished Jane Fairfax. In these oft-ignored and easily forgotten scenes, Frank performs an astonishing ontological trespass: flaunting his plot only to better conceal it, the literary character seems nearly possessed by a shadow of omniscience itself, wielding a sort of all-pervasive knowledge of the plot that is usually reserved for the narrator's exclusive access. Although critics have interpreted free indirect discourse as an authorial elision of individual consciousness, a ventriloquizing of characters' thoughts that dispossesses the subjects of such discourses, this essay suggests that Frank Churchill's fluency in the language of plotting captures the double bind of power and dispossession nestled within social performance. Plotting, I argue, emerges as a form of social know-how, both encouraged and curbed by the aesthetic requirements of novelistic emplotment writ large. In this light, literary characters who engage in plotting stand at a site of conversion, where an aspect of fiction seen as narrowly aesthetic becomes a technique for representing structures of social self-consciousness cultivated under conditions of precarity.
Scale inTessin Scale
Authors: Morgan Benjamin
Published: May 2019

Concepts of scale have become urgent and contested in two thriving but seemingly unrelated fields. Humanities scholarship on anthropogenic climate change often argues that our historical present is defined by a conflict between human and geological timescales. At the same time, challenges to historicist literary interpretation have sought to rescale the temporal units we use to contextualize the objects we study. This essay argues that Thomas Hardy's novels, which often address inhuman scales of time, reveal how literary debates about scale might productively contribute to an ongoing reconsideration of historical consciousness in the context of the climate crisis. Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles recursively activates scalar multiplicity: first, by dramatizing the intersection of scales of value, time, and space; and second, by suggesting that this drama may be understood as a feature of cyclical rather than linear history. Through Tess, we may understand how literary form provides unique imaginative purchase on a crisis that is massive at the scale of geological time but mostly imperceptible at the scale of human experience.
Organ-specific genetic interactions between paralogues of the PXY and ER receptor kinases enforce radial patterning in Arabidopsis vascular tissue
Authors: Wang Ning , Bagdassarian Kristine S. , Doherty Rebecca E. , Kroon Johannes T. , Connor Katherine A. , Wang Xiao Y. , Wang Wei , Jermyn Ian H. , Turner Simon R. , Etchells J. Peter
Published: May 2019

In plants, cells do not migrate. Tissues are frequently arranged in concentric rings, thus expansion of inner layers is coordinated with cell division and/or expansion of cells in outer layers. In Arabidopsis stems, receptor kinases, PXY and ER, genetically interact to coordinate vascular proliferation and organisation via inter-tissue signalling. The contribution of PXY and ER paralogues to stem patterning is not known, nor is their function understood in hypocotyls, which undergo considerable radial expansion. Here we show that removal of all PXY and ER gene-family members results in profound cell division and organisation defects. In hypocotyls, these plants failed to transition to true radial growth. Gene expression analysis suggested that PXY and ER cross- and inter-family transcriptional regulation occurs, but it differs between stem and hypocotyl. Thus PXY and ER signalling interact to coordinate development in a distinct manner in different organs. We anticipate that such specialised local regulatory relationships, where tissue growth is controlled via signals moving across tissue layers, may coordinate tissue layer expansion throughout the plant body.
Good Cop, Bad Cop: Using Civilian Allegations to Predict Police Misconduct
Authors: Rozema Kyle , Schanzenbach Max
Published: May 2019

In response to high-profile cases of police misconduct, reformers are calling for greater use of civilian allegations in identifying potential problem officers. This paper applies an Empirical Bayes framework to data on civilian allegations and civil rights litigation in Chicago to assess the predictive value of civilian allegations for serious future misconduct. We find a strong relationship between allegations and future civil rights litigation, especially for the very worst officers. The worst 1 percent of officers, as measured by civilian allegations, generate almost 5 times the number of payouts and over 4 times the total damage payouts in civil rights litigation. These findings suggest that intervention efforts could be fruitfully concentrated among a relatively small group. (JEL H76, K38, K42)
Screening in Contract Design: Evidence from the ACA Health Insurance Exchanges
Authors: Geruso Michael , Layton Timothy , Prinz Daniel
Published: May 2019

We study insurers’ use of prescription drug formularies to screen consumers in the ACA Health Insurance exchanges. We begin by showing that exchange risk adjustment and reinsurance succeed in neutralizing selection incentives for most, but not all, consumer types. A minority of consumers, identifiable by demand for particular classes of prescription drugs, are predictably unprofitable. We then show that contract features relating to these drugs are distorted in a manner consistent with multidimensional screening. The empirical findings support a long theoretical literature examining how insurance contracts offered in equilibrium can fail to optimally trade off risk protection and moral hazard. (JEL D82, G22, H51, I13, I18)
Recent Advances in Preventing and Managing Postoperative Delirium
Authors: Vlisides Phillip , Avidan Michael
Published: May 2019

Postoperative delirium is a common and harrowing complication in older surgical patients. Those with cognitive impairment or dementia are at especially high risk for developing postoperative delirium; ominously, it is hypothesized that delirium can accelerate cognitive decline and the onset of dementia, or worsen the severity of dementia. Awareness of delirium has grown in recent years as various medical societies have launched initiatives to prevent postoperative delirium and alleviate its impact. Unfortunately, delirium pathophysiology is not well understood and this likely contributes to the current state of low-quality evidence that informs perioperative guidelines. Along these lines, recent prevention trials involving ketamine and dexmedetomidine have demonstrated inconsistent findings. Non-pharmacologic multicomponent initiatives, such as the Hospital Elder Life Program, have consistently reduced delirium incidence and burden across various hospital settings. However, a substantial portion of delirium occurrences are still not prevented, and effective prevention and management strategies are needed to complement such multicomponent non-pharmacologic therapies. In this narrative review, we examine the current understanding of delirium neurobiology and summarize the present state of prevention and management efforts.
Determinants of knowledge, attitude and practice in patients with both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Fiji
Authors: Zibran Mohammed Alvis , Mohammadnezhad Masoud
Published: May 2019

Background:In Fiji, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Chronic kidney disease (CKD) are amongst the top four causes of premature mortality, disability and death. This study aims to identify the determinants of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in T2DM patients with CKD in Fiji in 2018.

Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sigatoka Sub-divisional Hospital (SSH) in Fiji in July-August, 2018 using a self-structured questionnaire to test KAP of 225 patients. The inclusion criteria were confirmed T2DM patients (Fijian citizens) with CKD, aged 30 years or above and attending Special Out-Patient's Department (SOPD) at SSH. Independent t-test and ANOVA was used to test differences between demographic variable and practice score while non-parametric tests were used for knowledge and attitude. Spearman correlation and multiple linear regressions were conducted. All tests were set at 5% level of significance.

Results: From 249 questionnaires distributed, 225 responded thus response rate was 95%. The mean KAP level was high: knowledge, 23.3/30 (SD±3.25); attitude, 23.1/30 (SD±2.73) and practice, 7.1/10 (SD±2.04). A high level of knowledge was seen in those with university-level education (p<0.001), unemployed (p=0.05) and high average monthly income (p=0.03). Those aged 61-70 years had a 0.53-point lower attitude score (p=0.05) than other age categories, while those >70 years had a 1.78-point lower attitude score (p=0.01) than other age categories. Fijians of Indian descent (FID) had lower attitude (p=0.002) and higher practice (p=0.001) scores.

Conclusion:Patients with both T2DM and CKD at SSH have high levels of KAP. The determinants of KAP have been shown and thus, this study identified high-risk groups for low KAP, which can become the focus of future public health intervention.
Functional antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites are associated with a longer time to qPCR-detected infection among schoolchildren in Burkina Faso
Authors: Barry Aissata , Behet Marije C. , Nébié Issa , Lanke Kjerstin , Grignard Lynn , Ouedraogo Alphonse , Soulama Issiaka , Drakeley Chris , Sauerwein Robert , Bolscher Judith M. , Dechering Koen J. , Bousema Teun , Tiono Alfred B. , Gonçalves Bronner P.
Published: May 2019

Background: Individuals living in malaria-endemic regions develop immunity against severe malaria, but it is unclear whether immunity against pre-erythrocytic stages that blocks initiation of blood-stage infection after parasite inoculation develops following continuous natural exposure.

Methods: We cleared schoolchildren living in an area (health district of Saponé, Burkina Faso) with highly endemic seasonal malaria of possible sub-patent infections and examined them weekly for incident infections by nested PCR. Plasma samples collected at enrolment were used to quantify antibodies to the pre-eryhrocytic-stage antigens circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and Liver stage antigen 1 (LSA-1). In vitro sporozoite gliding inhibition and hepatocyte invasion inhibition by naturally acquired antibodies were assessed using Plasmodium falciparum NF54 sporozoites. Associations between antibody responses, functional pre-erythrocytic immunity phenotypes and time to infection detected by 18S quantitative PCR were studied.

Results: A total of 51 children were monitored. Anti-CSP antibody titres showed a positive association with sporozoite gliding motility inhibition (P<0.0001, Spearman’s ρ=0.76). In vitro hepatocyte invasion was inhibited by naturally acquired antibodies (median inhibition, 19.4% [IQR 15.2-40.9%]), and there were positive correlations between invasion inhibition and gliding inhibition (P=0.005, Spearman’s ρ=0.67) and between invasion inhibition and CSP-specific antibodies (P=0.002, Spearman’s ρ=0.76). Survival analysis indicated longer time to infection in individuals displaying higher-than-median sporozoite gliding inhibition activity (P=0.01), although this association became non-significant after adjustment for blood-stage immunity (P = 0.06).

Conclusions: In summary, functional antibodies against the pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria infection are acquired in children who are repeatedly exposed to Plasmodium parasites. This immune response does not prevent them from becoming infected during a malaria transmission season, but might delay the appearance of blood stage parasitaemia. Our approach could not fully separate the effects of pre-erythrocytic-specific and blood-stage-specific antibody-mediated immune responses in vivo; epidemiological studies powered and designed to address this important question should become a research priority.
Ensuring Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility Through Vertical Integration and Horizontal Sourcing
Authors: Orsdemir Adem , Hu Bin , Deshpande Vinayak
Published: May 2019

Firms have recently vertically integrated with suppliers to ensure corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) in sourcing. We investigate the conditions under which CSER concerns will drive vertical integration, and how actions of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) impact CSER. This paper is inspired by Taylor Guitars’s acquisition of an ebony mill in Cameroon to ensure CSER. Whereas the majority of the responsible sourcing literature focuses on auditing as a mechanism for addressing CSER, we study vertical integration as an alternative. Our analysis confirms that CSER can be a potential driver of vertical integration aside from other well-known drivers. We analyze game-theoretical models where a firm can vertically integrate to potentially eliminate CSER risks. Two innovative features of our models are demand externalities (namely, a firm’s CSER violation can positively or negatively affect its competitor’s demand) and horizontal sourcing (namely, a vertically integrated firm can sell responsibly sourced supply to a competitor). We show that a firm’s CSER strategy depends on the risk of a CSER violation exposure, the level of demand externalities (positive or negative), and whether horizontal sourcing is feasible. We find that in industries where horizontal sourcing is unlikely, firms stay disintegrated under a low CSER violation exposure risk and vertically integrate under a moderate CSER violation exposure risk. Surprisingly, firms may stay disintegrated under a high CSER violation exposure risk combined with strongly negative demand externalities. In contrast, firms vertically integrate under moderate-to-high CSER violation exposure risk when horizontal sourcing is possible but may not share responsibly sourced supply through horizontal sourcing under strongly positive demand externalities. We show that firms should be conscious about demand externalities and the possibility of horizontal sourcing in the industry when considering vertical integration for CSER. We also provide guidance to NGOs interested in promoting CSER. When horizontal sourcing is unlikely, NGOs should specify both violating and nonviolating firms in their reports, but not over-scrutinize firms; whereas when horizontal sourcing is possible, NGOs should allocate more resources for scrutinizing firms’ CSER violations and create industry-wide violation reports, while avoiding naming of specific firms in their reports.

This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Issue on Value Chain Innovations in Developing Economies.
Straight-to-test for the two-week-wait colorectal cancer pathway under the updated NICE guidelines reduces time to cancer diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Christopher J , Flint TR , Ahmed H , Dhir N , Li R , Macfarland K , Ng DZS , Ng JMK , O’Neill C , te Water Naudé A , Sloan K , Hall NR , Powar MP
Published: May 2019

Introduction

The 2015 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines widened the referral criteria for the two-week-wait pathway for suspected lower gastrointestinal cancer. We implemented a straight-to-test protocol to accommodate the anticipated increase in referrals. We evaluated the impact of these changes for relevant pathway metrics and clinical outcomes using a retrospective cohort study with historic controls.

Materials and methods

We analysed data from all patients referred to a teaching hospital via the two-week-wait pathway for suspected lower gastrointestinal cancer under the previous guidelines between 1 March and 31 August 2015 compared with the same period in 2016, when the updated guidelines and straight-to-test protocol had been implemented.

Results

In the 2015 cohort, there were 64 cancer diagnoses from 664 referrals (9.6% pick-up) compared with 58 cancer diagnoses from 954 referrals in the 2016 cohort (6.1% pick-up). Our straight-to-test protocol reduced the median time to cancer diagnosis by 12.5 days (P < 0.001) and reduced the median time to cancer treatment by 7.5 days (P < 0.05) An increased proportion of non-colorectal cancers were diagnosed in 2016 compared with 2015, (37.9% vs 17.2%, P < 0.05) and more adenomas were removed in 2016 compared with 2015 (377 vs 193).

Discussion and conclusion

Our straight-to-test protocol has resulted in a reduction in times to cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, despite an increase in the number of referrals. The new referral criteria have considerable resource implications, but their implementation did not result in an increase in the total number of cancers diagnosed.
Carpal tunnel decompression in primary care: what is the infection risk and is it safe and effective?
Authors: Palial V , Kheiran A , Siddiqui S
Published: May 2019

Introduction

The demand for elective hand surgery in England is predicted to double by 2030 compared with 2011. With such increase in demand, the UK must seek strategies to reduce costs of treatment while still maintaining standards of care. Carpal tunnel decompression performed in a treatment room rather than in theatre may provide a safe alternative setting. As yet, there are no UK-based studies that identify the risk of infection following surgery performed in a treatment room and there are no studies whatsoever assessing the qualitative outcomes of patients undergoing hand surgery outside a theatre environment. Our aim was to assess whether carpal tunnel decompression performed in the community is safe, in terms of infection risk, and effective.

Materials and methods

Patient outcome measures were prospectively recorded following carpal tunnel decompression in one single primary care centre performed by one surgeon from 2012 to 2017. Infection following surgery was evaluated for retrospectively.

Results

A total of 460 patients underwent carpal tunnel decompression within the study time period. There were three superficial infections identified, giving an infection rate of 0.65%. There were no deep infections identified. There was a statistically significant improvement in both symptom and functional outcomes following surgery, with results comparable to other studies where surgery was performed in theatre.

Discussion

We believe that carpal tunnel decompressions performed in a treatment room is both safe, in terms of infection risk, and effective. Surgeons should consider this location as an alternative setting to the main operating theatre.
Continuing acromioclavicular joint pain after excision arthroplasty: is further surgery effective?
Authors: Dekker AP , Borton Z , Espag M , Cresswell T , Tambe AA , Clark DI
Published: May 2019

Background

Little published evidence exists on the incidence of continuing acromioclavicular joint pain with no published outcomes for revision surgery. This study aimed to establish the incidence and outcomes of revision acromioclavicular joint excision surgery.

Materials and methods

A consecutive retrospective cohort of patients undergoing revision arthroscopic or open acromioclavicular joint excision was identified. Patients were identified from a prospectively collected database. Inclusion criteria were revision acromioclavicular joint excisions over a 14-year period between 2001 and 2015. Exclusion criteria were previous surgery for acromioclavicular joint instability or shoulder arthroplasty. Outcome measures were Oxford Shoulder scores and a satisfaction survey.

Results

Forty-three consecutive cases of revision acromioclavicular joint excision over 14 years (37 after arthroscopic excision with subacromial decompression, 5 after arthroscopic excision with rotator cuff repair, 1 after open excision). Continuing acromioclavicular joint pain was associated with incomplete resection from arthroscopic surgery, which was the primary indication for revision surgery. Revision occurred a mean 14.2 months after primary surgery (standard deviation 7.6 months). Mean Oxford Shoulder score was preoperatively 18 (standard deviation 8.1) and 23.4 (standard deviation 11.1) after primary surgery, which did not reach significance until after revision surgery with a mean 31.7 (standard deviation 13.6; P = 0.021). Median follow up was 15 months (interquartile range 4–31 months). A survey at a mean of 6 years (standard deviation 2.3) post-revision surgery found that 65% of patients felt improved, 77% would have their surgery again and 69% of patients felt satisfied. The incidence of postoperative frozen shoulder was 14.3%.

Conclusion

Functional outcomes after revision surgery showed improvement from scores taken before primary surgery; however, long-term satisfaction rates were relatively low.
Overview of the Morphology of Neotropical Termite Workers: History and Practice
Authors: Rocha Mauricio M , Cuezzo Carolina , Constantini Joice Paulo , Oliveira Danilo Elias , Santos Rafaella Gregório , Carrijo Tiago Fernandes , Cancello Eliana Marques
Published: May 2019

This contribution deals with the worker caste of the Neotropical termite fauna. It is a compilation of present knowledge about the morphology of pseudergates and workers, including the literature discussing the origin and evolution of this caste, the terminology used in the different taxonomic groups, and the techniques used to study these individuals, especially examination of the gut, mandibles, legs, and nota. In order to assist in identifying workers, it includes a key for the families that occur in the Neotropical Region and a characterization of workers of all families, especially the subfamilies of Termitidae, with descriptions and illustrations of diagnostic morphological features of genera. We point out advances and gaps in knowledge, as well as directions for future research.
Nesting Biology of Sympatric Species of Megachilidae Bees in a Conservation Area in Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Mello Bruno Nunes da Silva , Gaglianone Maria Cristina
Published: May 2019

Megachilidae bees are important pollinators in the Neotropical region, however information on the ecology and behavior of these species is still scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the nesting biology of sympatric species in the União Biological Reserve, a remnant of Atlantic Forest in the southeastern Brazil. Our results indicated the occurrence of 17 species, representing significant richness compared to other areas in the Atlantic Forest. Five sympatric species built ¾ of all nests found and the architecture of their nests was studied including, for the first time, nests of a species of Megachile (Ptilosarus). The use of petals or leaf fragments in the construction of the nests was observed for species of Megachile (Chrysosarus), confirming previous data. The nesting activity period in the trap-nests occurred mainly in the rainy season, with different peaks among the species. The results indicate that the distinctive characteristics of the species, such as the type of material used in the nests, the dimensions of cavities, and the asynchronous nesting period, could be important for the niche differentiation of these sympatric species, allowing the maintenance and the survival of the most abundant Megachilidae populations in the area.
Characterizing Honeybee Cuticular Hydrocarbons During Foraging
Authors: Balbuena María Sol , González Andrés , Farina Walter Marcelo
Published: May 2019

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) adjust their time and effort during foraging activity. Their metabolic rates together with body temperature rise while gathering profitable resources. These physiological changes may result in a differential cuticular profile, which in turn may bear communicational value. We evaluated if sucrose concentration of collected food affects the cuticular chemistry of honeybees during foraging. We trained bees to artificial feeders with high (2 M) and low (0.5 M) sucrose concentrations, and captured the active foragers for surface extraction of cuticular compounds. We sampled foragers just after feeding, before taking-off towards the hive, and upon landing at the hive entrance, before entering the hive. Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of cuticular extracts, we identified and quantified 48 compounds, including cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and volatiles associated with exocrine glands. We found that higher sucrose concentrations resulted in increased amounts of alkanes and alkenes in the surface extracts of foragers captured at the hive entrance, but not at the feeding site. Our results suggest that the differences that have been reported for CHCs in waggle-dancing honey bees can be already found once they return to the hive from profitable food sources.
Fire effects on the ant community in areas of native and exotic vegetation
Authors: Arcusa Juan Manuel
Published: May 2019

Acacia melanoxylon is an invasive species of the mountain grassland of the southeastern part of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Fires are a natural disturbance, characteristic of the area, and favor the germination of this invasive plant. However, they are used as the first step in management systems for the Acacia species.  Moreover, the use of ants in monitoring programs is very scarce for Argentina. The objectives of this work are: 1) to analyze the response and resilience capacity of native and invaded sites by A. melanoxylon after a fire for controlling this invasive species; 2) to detect groups of ants considered to be indicators of the recovery phase subsequent to the burning; and 3) to apply the concept of groups of disturbances, proposed by Roig and Espadaler, as an effective tool for monitoring. The sampling design consisted of three replicates of 10 pitfall traps for each environment, native and invaded.  Ant species were grouped into functional groups, trophic guilds, and disturbance groups. The fire did not generate significant changes in the richness and abundance of ants in the mountain grassland. However, it generated a positive effect on the sites invaded by Acacia during the first year after the fire. The groups of minimum specialists of vegetation and the dominant Dolichoderinae are considered good bioindicators. Finally, the disturbance indicators can be considered reliable management tools if the biology of the species that compose it is known beforehand.
Stingless Bees Fed on Fermented Soybean-extract-based Diet Had Reduced Lifespan than Pollen-Fed Workers
Authors: Queiroz Ana Carolina M. , Leão Kamila Leão , Contrera Felipe Andrés León , Teixeira Joyce C.S. , Menezes Cristiano
Published: May 2019

Nectar and pollen are the basic food resources of stingless bees. The current advance of meliponiculture led to the search for supplementary feeding. Despite little is known about native bee supplementation, several alternative foods have been tested as protein substitutes, with soy being one of the most commonly used. In this study, we compared the effect of a semiartificial soy-based diet versus a natural diet on the longevity of adult worker of Melipona flavolineata Friese and Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Latreille). A total of 200 workers of each species (40 from each colony) were used, of which 100 comprised the control group (consumed honey and pollen) and 100 the experimental group (honey and a semiartificial food based on soybean extract). The workers were divided into groups of 20 individuals confined in MDF boxes not completely enclosed, without a queen, and kept in BOD incubators. Dead bees were counted and removed daily. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted for each species. We found greater longevity in workers who consumed only natural pollen (71 days for M. flavolineata, 78 days for S. aff. postica, in average) compared to those consuming the soy-based diet (62 days for M. flavolineata, 61 days for S. aff. postica, in average). Workers of M. flavolineata that consumed pollen lived nine days more (21.8%) than those fed on the soy-based diet, while S. aff. postica workers lived seven days more (12.7%). As longevity was only slightly reduced, we can recommend a soy-based diet for stingless bees during dearth periods or for supplemental feeding of newly formed colonies.
Presence of Plebeia aff. flavocincta Nests in Urban Areas
Authors: Ribeiro Marcia De Fatima , Taura Tatiana Ayako
Published: May 2019

This study was performed in 2009, 2015 and 2018, at urban areas of Petrolina (state of Pernambuco) and Juazeiro (state of Bahia), at the São Francisco valley, Brazilian Northeast. Trees were identified and investigated for the presence of Plebeia aff. flavocincta nests, in three years: 2009, 2015 and 2018. Data on height at nest entrance (HNE), tree diameter at nest entrance (DNE) and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) were obtained. Trees containing nests were identified and geo-referenced. In Petrolina and Juazeiro, the percentage of bees nests in all checked trees was smaller in 2009 (3.94% and 0.56%) than in 2015 (1.92% and 5.26%) and in 2018 (21.21% and 3.66%). This increase (especially in Petrolina) suggests P. aff. flavocincta is well adapted to urban environments and food and/or nesting resources might be improved along the years. On the other hand, survival of nests was not high: only two nests found in 2009 survived up to 2018. Mortality of nests was mainly due to the cutting of trees. Simultaneously, according to observations, swarming probably occurs, what might have improved the number of nests observed in 2018. The vegetal species most used by the bees was Prosopis juliflora (84.38%). Considering all data, the HNE, DNE, and DHB varied among the cities and years, but the differences were not significant in most of the cases. In Juazeiro, two nests were found also in a wall and another one in a pipe showing the diversity of nesting habits of the species. It is remarkable that despite high levels of stress (caused by noise, pollution, and human interferences) these bees are able to survive and swarm at urban areas.
Nest architecture and life cycle of Small Carpenter bee, Ceratina binghami Cockerell (Xylocopinae: Apidae: Hymenoptera)
Authors: Udayakumar Amala , Shivalingaswamy Tamilapur Maharudrappa
Published: May 2019

The small carpenter bee, Ceratina binghami (Xylocopinae:Apidae) is an important pollinator of many agricultural and horticultural crops. The nests constructed by the bee in the pruned pithy stems of Caesalpinia pulcherrima were collected to study its biology under laboratory conditions. The bee constructs its nest in the pithy stems of different plants by chewing over the pith layer. The bee is oligolectic in habit and make pollen balls and provision its broods in the cells with an interesting guarding behavior in the nest. The nests consisted of egg, larvae, prepupae, pupae and adult stages. Life cycle of the bee was completed in 41.67±3.12 days. Pupal stage consisted of different colors of eye pigmentation. Foraging activity of the bee started during morning hours approximately between 6.45 to 7.15 am and ended during the late evening hours of 4.50 to 5.15 pm. The nest architecture of the bee was studied and presented. The nesting behavior and short life cycle of C. binghami in pithy stems of C. pulcherrima helps in the in-situ conservation and utilization of the bee species in the pollination of agricultural crops.
Are Orchid Bees (Apidae: Euglossini) Good Indicators of the State of Conservation of Neotropical Forests?
Authors: Añino Yostin , Parra-H Alejandro , Gálvez Dumas
Published: May 2019

This work discusses the criteria proposed to consider wild bees as bioindicators and specifically applied to orchid bees in neotropical forests. Some of the issues are: 1) the deficiencies of the sampling methods, which makes it difficult to accurately assess species inventories. 2) missing knowledge about the biology of many species. 3) spatial or temporal distribution of most species remains unknown, which may misslead the results of short-term studies. 4) It is not clear whether orchid bees are affected by climate change as seen in other bees, which weakens their predictive potential. 5) A measure of the economic benefits provided by orchid bees is needed to better appraise them and their conservation. Finally, future studies should develop predictive models for conservation, accounting for evolutionary aspects like phylogeny or distributions; together with studies of the effect of disturbance on the physiology of the bees.
Evaluation of the ASCENT Smoking Cessation Program for Adolescents
Authors: Hoffman Jeffrey , Nemes Susanna , Weil Jennifer , Zack Sharon , Munly Kelly , Hess Lauren
Published: May 2019

The goal of this study was to evaluate the Adolescent Smoking Cessation Escaping Nicotine and Tobacco (ASCENT) program, a multifaceted smoking cessation intervention for teens, aged 14 to 18. Seven schools were randomised into either an intervention group (n = 61) or a comparison control group (n = 44). Findings suggested that 67% of the teens in the experimental group reported they did not smoke daily in the past 12 months, compared to 42% of the control group (p < .05). In addition, experimental (treated) youth reduced their smoking from an average of 8 cigarettes a day at baseline to 6 cigarettes a day (p < .05). Although not statistically significant, the overall 1-year quit rate for both groups was higher than the average rate for youth cessation programs (12%). The results of this study suggest that, with appropriate interventions, it is feasible to reduce youth smoking.
Factors Contributing to Smoking Cessation Behaviour in North Wales, United Kingdom: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Nanguzgambo Aldoph B. , Gwynne Dafydd , Pearce Mark S.
Published: May 2019

The aim was to determine the factors that contribute to behavioural change in smokers, and to assess differences in the distribution of these factors between those in lower and higher stages of behavioural change using the transtheoretical model (TTM). A total of 112 participants were recruited from smoking cessation clinics in six local health authorities in North Wales, United Kingdom into a cross-sectional study; 46% of the participants were in the lower stages of the TTM (Precontemplation and Contemplation). The odds of being in the higher stage of behavioural change were not significantly associated with any of the factors considered (p > 0.05). In open-ended questions, the main factors reported to influence the decision to quit smoking were related to health and expenditure on cigarettes. The findings of this study suggest that in addition to the existing health strategy of promoting knowledge of the health impact of smoking, understanding factors influencing smokers to take steps towards quitting is also important.
Reviews
Authors: Andrews Kate , Levick Carmen , Troughton Irene Alcubilla , Yao Yun
Published: May 2019

Tales from the Music Therapy Room: Creative Connections, Claire Molyneux (ed.) (2018) London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 168 pp., ISBN 978-1-78592-540-5, p/bk, $22.95

The Handbook of Art Therapy and Digital Technology, Cathy Malchiodi (ed.) (2018) London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 416 pp., ISBN: 978-1-78592-792-8, p/bk, $34.95

The Aging Body in Dance: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Nanako Nakajima and Gabriele Brandstetter (eds) (2017) New York: Routledge, 180 pp., ISBN 978-1-13820-006-7, p/bk, $47.95

Performing Neurology: The Dramaturgy of Dr Jean-Martin Charcot, Jonathan W. Marshall (2016) New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 277 pp., ISBN 978-1-13751-761-6, p/bk, $90.00
Breaking down boundaries? Exploring mutuality through art-making in an open studio mental health setting
Authors: Lewis Lydia , Spandler Helen
Published: May 2019

Community-based participatory arts projects have been shown to promote wellbeing and mental health recovery. One reason for this is because they provide opportunities for mutuality – connectedness to others and different kinds of sharing and reciprocity. Yet research into mental health arts projects has not focused on shared creative practice between participants/members and practitioners. This article reports on qualitative research in an arts and mental health organization employing an open studio approach in which art therapists made art alongside members. It explores the possibilities for, and tensions associated with, generating mutuality between studio managers and members through this approach. Conducted from a critically engaged, feminist sociological perspective, the study encompassed an analytical focus on power, especially gender relations. Findings are presented along three themes: (de)constructing and obscuring relational asymmetries; mutual acceptance and its limits; and maintaining, working with and challenging ‘boundaries’. Implications for applied arts and mental health practice are highlighted.
Exploring the Feasibility of Supporting UK Partners Living Alongside Veterans with PTSD: A Pilot Study of the Together Programme (TTP)
Authors: Murphy Dominic , Murphy Dominic , Harper Lucy Spencer- , Turgoose David
Published: May 2019

Background
Romantic partners living alongside veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) appear at increased risk of secondary traumatic stress (sPTSD) and common mental health difficulties (CMD) compared to the general population. The severity of symptoms implies the need for structured, bespoke and evidence-based interventions.

Objective
The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of offering a community support programme (The Together Programme, TTP) for military partners. TTP was developed based upon a number of US programmes and consisted of 10 hours of group-based support delivered over a five-week course. 56 participants engaged in TTP over a year at nine locations across the UK and were followed up three months later.

Methods
Measures of CMD, sPTSD, alcohol use and relationship satisfaction were used to assess benefits. Data were also collected on attendance and participant feedback.

Results
Significant reductions were observed for symptoms of sPTSD and CMD at follow up. 51/56 (90.1%) participants completed TTP. The majority of participants reported positive experiences. However, several individuals stated wanting more sessions and that barriers such as work, and family commitments made it difficult to attend.

Conclusions
Whilst limitations exist, the data presented suggests cautious optimism for the efficacy of offering a structured programme of support to address the needs of military partners living alongside PTSD.
Dritte Orte kreativ-urbaner Milieus
Authors: Bingel Katharina
Published: May 2019

Kreativität ist ein Produkt sozialer Austauschprozesse, die auch im digitalen Zeitalter noch an konkreten, physischen Orten stattfinden. Für eine erfolgreiche Stadtentwicklung ist es daher erforderlich, die Produktionsorte der Kreativität zu identifizieren und zu stärken. Mithilfe qualitativer Methoden deckt Katharina Bingel die Mechanismen von Entstehung, Aneignung und Bedeutungszunahme von Dritten Orten kreativ-urbaner Milieus unter Berücksichtigung sozialer In- und Exklusionslinien auf. Dabei fragt sie nach der sozialen Produktion Dritter Orte im Zusammenspiel mit dem physischen Raum und leitet daraus Implikationen für eine nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung ab.
Marx, Animals, and Humans
Authors: Benton Ted
Published: May 2019

The December 2018 issue of Monthly Review featured John Bellamy Foster and Brett Clark's "Marx and Alienated Speciesism" and Christian Stache's "On the Origins of Animalist Marxism: Rereading: Ted Benton and the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844," both of which take up Ted Benton's work on animals and Marxism. Here Ted Benton offers a response to the critiques offered by Foster and Clark, and Stache.
ProvCite
Authors: Wu Yinjun , Alawini Abdussalam , Deutch Daniel , Milo Tova , Davidson Susan
Published: May 2019

As research products expand to include structured datasets, the challenge arises of how to automatically generate citations to the results of arbitrary queries against such datasets. Previous work explored this problem in the context of
conjunctive
queries and views using a Rewriting-Based Model (RBM). However, an increasing number of scientific queries are
aggregate,
e.g. statistical summaries of the underlying data, for which the RBM cannot be easily extended. In this paper, we show how a Provenance-Based Model (PBM) can be leveraged to 1) generate citations to conjunctive as well as aggregate queries and views; 2) associate citations with individual result tuples to enable arbitrary subsets of the result set to be cited (
fine-grained citations
); and 3) be optimized to return citations in
acceptable time.
Our implementation of PBM in ProvCite shows that it not only handles a larger class of queries and views than RBM, but can outperform it when restricted to conjunctive views in some cases.
Deducing certain fixes to graphs
Authors: Fan Wenfei , Lu Ping , Tian Chao , Zhou Jingren
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes to deduce
certain fixes
to graphs
G
based on data quality rules Σ and ground truth Γ (
i.e.,
validated attribute values and entity matches). We fix errors detected by Σ in
G
such that the fixes are assured correct as long as Σand Γ are correct. We deduce certain fixes in two paradigms. (a) We interact with users and "incrementally" fix errors online. Whenever users pick a small set
V
0
of nodes in
G
, we fix all errors pertaining to
V
0
and accumulate ground truth in the process. (b) Based on accumulated Γ, we repair the entire graph
G
offline; while this may not correct all errors in
G
, all fixes are guaranteed certain.

We develop techniques for deducing certain fixes. (1) We define data quality rules to support conditional functional dependencies, recursively defined keys and negative rules on graphs, such that we can deduce fixes by combining data repairing and object identification. (2) We show that deducing certain fixes is Church-Rosser,
i.e.,
the deduction converges at the same fixes regardless of the order of rules applied. (3) We establish the complexity of three fundamental problems associated with certain fixes. (4) We provide (parallel) algorithms for deducing certain fixes online and offline, and guarantee to reduce running time when given more processors. Using real-life and synthetic data, we experimentally verify the effectiveness and scalability of our methods.
Accelerating generalized linear models with MLWeaving
Authors: Wang Zeke , Kara Kaan , Zhang Hantian , Alonso Gustavo , Mutlu Onur , Zhang Ce
Published: May 2019

Learning from the data stored in a database is an important function increasingly available in relational engines. Methods using lower precision input data are of special interest given their overall higher efficiency. However, in databases, these methods have a hidden cost: the quantization of the real value into a smaller number is an expensive step. To address this issue, we present ML-Weaving, a data structure and hardware acceleration technique intended to speed up learning of generalized linear models over low precision data. MLWeaving provides a compact in-memory representation that enables the retrieval of data at any level of precision. MLWeaving also provides a highly efficient implementation of stochastic gradient descent on FPGAs and enables the dynamic tuning of precision, instead of using a fixed precision level during learning. Experimental results show that MLWeaving converges up to 16 x faster than low-precision implementations of first-order methods on CPUs.