bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common Terns Raise Young from Successive Broods
Authors: Hays Helen
Published: October 2019

In this paper I report the first instance of a pair of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) raising young in successive clutches during one breeding season and discuss this phenomenon in relation to male and female incubation and feeding rates and to predation. Five other pairs are noted in which the female and sometimes the male incubated a second clutch while still feeding one young from their first nest.
Reproduction of Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in Good and Bad Breeding Seasons in a Northern Marginal Area
Authors: Järvinen Antero , Väisänen Risto A.
Published: October 2019

We studied relationships between female size, date of egg laying, clutch size, egg size, and breeding success in Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in a marginal area in northwestern Finnish Lapland (69°N). Average June temperatures in 1975-1981 were used to classify years into "good" (warm) and "bad" (cold) breeding seasons. In general, early and warm springs were followed by "good" breeding seasons: females were heavier, laying was earlier, clutches were larger and contained larger eggs, and hatching and fledging success were better than in late and cold springs. Mainly due to low nesting success in "bad" breeding seasons, the local population could not maintain itself; immigration from the south was needed. We suggest that spring weather may provide information concerning the character of the coming breeding season, which may help birds to maximize their lifetime production of young.
Recruitment and the Timing of Reproduction in Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens)
Authors: Cooke Fred , Findlay C. Scott , Rockwell Robert F.
Published: October 2019

Recruitment of offspring into a breeding population of Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) at La Perouse Bay, Manitoba was used as a measure of reproductive success to assess the relative fitness of females who hatched their clutches early, middle, and late in the breeding season. In three of seven seasons investigated, goslings from early-hatching clutches showed significantly greater recruitment rates than their middle- or late-hatching counterparts. No significant differences in recruitment rates were detected in the other four seasons, although early-hatching clutches showed numerically higher recruitment rates in three of these seasons. There is, therefore, some indication of directional selection for early breeding. This conclusion contrasts with that drawn by Cooke and Findlay (1982), who, using fledging success as a measure of reproductive fitness, showed that females whose clutches hatched in the middle period had the highest fitness and concluded that the population was being exposed to stabilizing selection for synchronization. The discrepancy between these results and those presented in this paper indicates that conclusions concerning the action of selection in natural populations depend heavily upon the stage of the life cycle during which reproductive success is estimated. As such, evolutionary biologists must be cautious of relying too heavily on measures taken too early in the life of the organism.
Bioenergetics of Egg Production by Female House Sparrows
Authors: Krementz David G. , Ankney C. Davison
Published: October 2019

To determine the daily and total energy expenditures of breeding female House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), we collected 276 females near London, Ontario between April 1981 and May 1983. Protein and fat content of developing follicles, eggs, and oviducts were determined and converted into their energy equivalents. Eight days were required to develop and lay a modal clutch of 4 eggs. Fat energy requirements were not estimable accurately because total body fat did not decline linearly over the egg production period; therefore, energy requirements were estimated as a range. Based on a 4-egg clutch, the maximum daily costs of reproduction, 16.5-17.6 kJ/day, equalled 44-47% of a female's standard metabolic rate. We estimate that daily costs very less than 10% for other clutch sizes (3 or 5). The total energy demand of reproduction was 66-71 kJ. Protein requirements comprised 59-63% of the total costs and were apportioned among oviduct (5-6%), yolk protein (17-19%), and albumen (36-39%). Fat requirements accounted for the remaining 37-41% of total costs. Based on our estimates of energy needed for reproduction, and on other evidence, we suspect that egg production by House Sparrows is not constrained by energy acquisition.
Seasonal Aspects of the Diet of Bonaparte's Gulls (Larus philadelphia) in the Quoddy Region, New Brunswick, Canada
Authors: Braune Birgit M.
Published: October 2019

During July-December 1978-1984, Bonaparte's Gulls (Larus philadelphia) on annual migration through the Quoddy region off New Brunswick, Canada, fed on fish, euphausiids, insects, and other marine invertebrates (mainly polychaetes and amphipods) in varying proportions as the summer and autumn progressed. The seasonal variation in the diet was related directly to food availability, which, in turn, was dictated by natural cycles of prey in the region. The frequency with which plastic particles were found in the stomachs also had a statistically significant seasonal trend. Fish provided the largest energy contribution (75-91%) to the diet at all times in the region. There was no significant difference between diets of juvenile and adult birds.
Activity Budgets and Foraging Ranges of Breeding Common Murres
Authors: Cairns D. K. , Bredin K. A. , Montevecchi W. A.
Published: October 2019

We used electronic activity recorders to measure flight time, dive time, and time on the water of breeding Common Murres (Uria aalge). During both incubation and chick rearing, about 90% of birds' time away from the colony was spent on the water or diving and 10% was spent flying. The proportion of flight time did not vary with trip duration. During chick rearing, 13.6% of time away from the colony was spent diving, and the proportion of time spent diving tended to decrease with trip duration. Potential foraging ranges calculated from flight times during individual foraging trips showed a concave frequency distribution, and median potential ranges were 37.8 km for incubating birds and 5.4 km for chick-rearing birds. The use of electronic recorders to measure time budgets has broad applications for seabird energetics and foraging ecology and for the assessment of prey availability and abundance.
Influence of Population Size on Habitat Use by Territorial Male Red-Winged Blackbirds in Agricultural Landscapes
Authors: Clark Robert G. , Weatherhead Patrick J.
Published: October 2019

Fretwell and Lucas's (1970) model relating settling patterns and habitat suitability was tested by examining the distribution among habitats of male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) at relatively low (26 males/km2 in 1978)a nd high (45 males/km2 in 1979)overall population densities. Wetlands and hayfields were identified as the most suitable breeding habitats on the basis of habitat selection patterns of territorial males and other evidence, whereas forest, cropland, and human-occupied areas generally were avoided. Some "packing" of males into hayfields occurred when population level increased, but the greatest changes were recorded from less suitable habitats. Occupancy of wetlands and hayfields remained relatively stable. These results were in general accordance with predictions from Fretwell and Lucas's model, but their model did not account for some aspects of spacing behavior. This is because habitat imprinting, site fidelity, and chance events, in addition to territorial behavior, likely contributed also to the spacing patterns of male Red-winged Blackbirds observed.
Is Courtship Intensity a Signal of Male Parental Care in Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)?
Authors: Yasukawa Ken , Knight Richard L. , Skagen Susan Knight
Published: October 2019

We studied Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) behavior in marsh and prairie habitats to determine whether courting males provide cues of their nest defense, whether females prefer males that defend nests vigorously, and whether male nest defense affects nest success. We found no evidence that courtship behavior provides cues of male nest defense, or that females prefer males that court intensely. We found evidence that females nesting in marshes prefer males that defend nests intensely, but no evidence that intensely defending males in the prairie habitat achieve high nest success. We found differences, however, between marsh and prairie habitats that suggest a coarse-grained relationship between male parental quality and female choice of mate in this species.
Genic Population Structure and Gene Flow in the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) Hybrid Zone
Authors: Grudzien Thaddeus A. , Moore William S. , Cook J. Richard , Tagle Danilo
Published: October 2019

The Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus) and Red-shafted Flicker (C. a. cafer) form a stable, narrow hybrid zone on the western Great Plains of North America. Allozyme data were obtained from 31 structural gene loci for 33 samples representing 246 Northern Flickers from throughout the Great Plains. Flickers were approximately equivalent to other birds in terms of proportion of polymorphic loci (P̄ = 0.207) and average heterozygosity (H̄ = 0.056). There was no concordant variation between plumage characters and allelic frequencies.

Gene-diversity analysis indicated that 92.5% of the genic variation occurred as within-deme heterozygosity(GD= 0.925),a pproximately 7% occurred among individual demes( GST= 0.07), and only 0.9% occurred among major river drainages (GST = 0.009). Even less diversity was found amongp arentala nd hybrid groups( GST= 0.002).T here is substantiaal llozymics tructuring of the Northern Flicker speciesp opulation, but the structuringis not associated with the hybrid zone, and there is, at most, very weak structuring into riparian zones of habitat.

The electrophoretic data support the inference that gene flow among Northern Flicker populationsis high (Nm = 1.9-4.4/generation).I f the high gene-flowe stimatesa recorrect, then geographicasl electiong radientsw ould be the most likely mechanismm aintaining the narrow hybrid zone of plumage and morphometric traits.
Evidence of Former Allopatry of the Two Color Phases of Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens)
Authors: Cooke F. , Parkin D. T. , Rockwell R. F.
Published: October 2019

Plumage color is distributed clinally in the Gulf Coast population of the dimorphic Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens); the white phase predominates in the west, and the blue phase in the east. A similar distribution occurs in the breeding colonies of this population. Historical evidence, stretching back to the mid-18th century, shows that the two phases were almost allopatric until the third decade of the 20th century. Allozyme variants at 6 loci also support the conclusion that the morphs were until recently two distinct taxa. The recent merging of the taxa probably is due to a change in winter feeding habits that allowed birds of both morphs to meet in the rice-growing areas of inland Texas and Louisiana. Because pair formation occurs at this time, this change permitted gene flow to occur between the morphs. There is no evidence of reduced fitness among mixed pairs, and interbreeding among the morphs is common. We know of no other case of a historically documented merging of two formerly allopatric taxa of birds where interbreeding is so widespread and where there is no evidence of reduced fitness of the hybrids.
The Stochastic Mode of Molecular Evolution: What Consequences for Systematic Investigations?
Authors: Lanyon Scott M.
Published: October 2019

Biochemical characters have been proposed as ideal sources of phylogenetic information. The homologous characters are easily identified, the relationships between such characters and the underlying genetic code is well understood, and, most importantly, biochemical characters are thought to evolve in a stochastic, clock-like manner. I present a modified version of the Zuckerkandl and Pauling (1965) model of stochastic evolution which is used to explore the consequences of a stochastic mode of evolution. The probability of observing shared character states is determined as a function of the evolutionary rate of a character, the time of independent ancestry for two sister taxa, the time of shared ancestry for the sister taxa independent of their next closest relative, and the number of functionally equivalent, equally probable character states. I found that, while many branching patterns can be reliably reconstructed using stochastically evolving characters, a large subset of theoretically possible phylogenies (as defined by the duration of shared and independent ancestry) would not be derived correctly. The model simulates a "best-case scenario" in which the rate of character evolution is constant over time. Violation of this assumption complicates phylogeny reconstruction and further limits the types of phylogenies that can be addressed with stochastically evolving characters. I discuss the implications of these findings for data analysis and experimental design.
Erratum: A migratory lifestyle is associated with shorter telomeres in a songbird (Junco hyemalis)
Authors: Bauer Carolyn M , Heidinger Britt J , Ketterson Ellen D , Greives Timothy J
Published: October 2019

Figure 1 in Bauer et al. (2016) incorrectly identified boxplots as representing means with standard deviations, while in actuality they represent medians within interquartile ranges.
Crinoid respiration and the distribution of energetic strategies among marine invertebrates
Authors: Saulsbury James
Published: October 2019

During the Mesozoic, the radiation of durophagous marine predators caused the ecological and evolutionary diminution of once-successful groups, including stalked, suspension-feeding echinoderms known as crinoids. Featherstars, crinoids that shed the stalk during development and exhibit anti-predatory adaptations such as high motility, defied this trend, and today they are widespread and diverse across ocean depths. As a ‘success story’ of the Mesozoic Marine Revolution, featherstars could be used to reveal how some marine lineages succeeded in the face of increased predation over geological time. However, current limited understanding of crinoid functional anatomy has inhibited such study. Using microphotography, scanning electron microscopy and computed tomography, I characterize the structure and variation of crinoid circulatory anatomy and explore differences between featherstars and stalked forms. Contrary to previous accounts, I find support for the role of coelomic circulation in crinoid respiration. This includes a previously undocumented case of positive allometry: larger crinoids have more complex circulatory anatomy. Moreover, quantitative analysis of coelomic anatomy shows that the circulatory system is generally more complex in featherstars than in stalked crinoids. The adaptations that allowed featherstars to persist in shallow water apparently entailed an increase in the functional capacity of the circulatory system, possibly due to consistently greater metabolic rates.
Anatomy of leaf edges in Marantaceae in the Neotropics: the relationship between vernation and leaf asymmetry and contributions to the systematics of the family
Authors: De Albuquerque Elaine Santiago Brilhante , Tenorio Vitor , Braga João Marcelo Alvarenga , Vieira Ricardo Cardoso
Published: October 2019

Marantaceae consist of species with asymmetric leaves of two types: those with either a wider left or right half; this asymmetry is related, respectively, to clockwise or counterclockwise convolute vernation. In this study, we analysed whether anatomical differences in the leaf edges, i.e. the anatomical asymmetry, were related to the orientation of the convolute vernation and to the asymmetry of leaf morphology, and whether these differences supported the organization of the clades in the family. Transverse sections of the mid third of the leaf buds expanded to the height of the right and left edges of the blades were prepared for 19 species belonging to 11 genera, using cyto-histological techniques. Anatomical analyses of the blade edges revealed that there is a relationship between morphological asymmetry and anatomical asymmetry that has never before been ascribed to the family. The anatomical data support differences between the arrangements in two of the three Neotropical informal groups. In the Calathea clade, Calathea showed much more similarity with Goeppertia than with Ischnosiphon and Monotagma, since they are the only genera that do not present with anatomical asymmetry. In the Maranta clade, Ctenanthe, Saranthe and Stromanthe appear to be related to one another, as they share strong anatomical asymmetry and fibrous edges. These characteristics, however, are not observed in Myrosma, which in turn is more anatomically similar to Maranta.
Constitution-Making in Bhutan: A Complex and Sui Generis Experience
Authors: Iyer Venkat
Published: October 2019

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which had remained isolated from the rest of the world until the 1970s, embarked on a series of transformational reforms in the new millennium that included the replacement of the country’s century-old absolute monarchy with a parliamentary democracy and the enactment of a written constitution based on Western principles, such as the separation of powers and the rule of law. The ‘democratization’ process was unique, not least for the fact that the impetus for change came from the monarch, who pressed ahead with his modernization agenda in the face of palpable opposition from his people, arguing that popular democracy was the only viable way forward for Bhutan in the modern age. The process of constitution making involved the striking of a delicate balance between tradition and modernity and ensuring that the monarchy continued to play a meaningful role in the country’s affairs. This article argues that, although the process itself ran smoothly, it is too early to judge the durability and long-term success of Bhutan’s new constitutional arrangements.
Bad Bargains
Authors: Davies Paul S
Published: October 2019

It is often said that the courts will not save parties from bad bargains: as Lord Nottingham observed, even ‘the Chancery mends no man's bargain’. This article considers what is meant by ‘bad bargain’, and argues that courts should be reluctant to develop the law in a way which would allow sophisticated commercial actors to escape bad bargains. This analysis is timely since in the current economic climate a number of long-term contracts have become especially disadvantageous to one party, and one consequence of Brexit is likely to be an increase in instances where one party tries to escape a bad bargain. Sympathy for the party which finds itself subject to a bad bargain has led to pressure on courts to find that an agreement is not binding; to expand the scope of the vitiating factors; and to liberalise the principles of interpretation and rectification, for example. It is suggested that courts should not readily bow to such pressure.
Chrystian Piotr Aigner, ancient monuments, and the architectural discourse of Polish resurrection in the Age of Revolution
Authors: Getka-Kenig Mikołaj
Published: October 2019

The role of ancient classical monuments in the history of Polish neoclassicism at the turn of the nineteenth century may seem to be insignificant. However, among many building types, there was one in the case of which ancient classical monuments served as an important source of inspiration for contemporary building practice. It was the architecture of public commemoration that engaged in the discourse of national resurrection after the late-eighteenth-century partitions of the Polish state. Apart from their general associations with natural order and permanent stability, classical architectural models could directly invoke historical or mythological precedents which helped clarify the ambiguities of the resurrection. However, it is notable that such memorials did not only share the propagation of the idea of national resurrection. They also had the same designer, Chrystian Piotr Aigner (1756–1841), who showed an exceptional interest in ancient architecture. This article argues that not only the direct engagement of those commemorative structures in the discourse of national resurrection, but also the choice of the designer with a special penchant for classical antiquity accounted for the unusual use of classical models as design templates in those specific architectural undertakings.
Dissecting the Effects of Selection and Mutation on Genetic Diversity in Three Wood White (Leptidea) Butterfly Species
Authors: Talla Venkat , Soler Lucile , Kawakami Takeshi , Dincă Vlad , Vila Roger , Friberg Magne , Wiklund Christer , Backström Niclas
Published: October 2019

The relative role of natural selection and genetic drift in evolution is a major topic of debate in evolutionary biology. Most knowledge spring from a small group of organisms and originate from before it was possible to generate genome-wide data on genetic variation. Hence, it is necessary to extend to a larger number of taxonomic groups, descriptive and hypothesis-based research aiming at understanding the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying both levels of genetic polymorphism and the efficiency of natural selection. In this study, we used data from 60 whole-genome resequenced individuals of three cryptic butterfly species (Leptidea sp.), together with novel gene annotation information and population recombination data. We characterized the overall prevalence of natural selection and investigated the effects of mutation and linked selection on regional variation in nucleotide diversity. Our analyses showed that genome-wide diversity and rate of adaptive substitutions were comparatively low, whereas nonsynonymous to synonymous polymorphism and substitution levels were comparatively high in Leptidea, suggesting small long-term effective population sizes. Still, negative selection on linked sites (background selection) has resulted in reduced nucleotide diversity in regions with relatively high gene density and low recombination rate. We also found a significant effect of mutation rate variation on levels of polymorphism. Finally, there were considerable population differences in levels of genetic diversity and pervasiveness of selection against slightly deleterious alleles, in line with expectations from differences in estimated effective population sizes.
4. Developing a Research Idea
Authors: Clark Tom , Foster Liam , Bryman Alan
Published: October 2019

Social research is concerned with developing defensible knowledge about people and all of the things that they do. This means that the landscape for social research is both wide and varied. In some cases, the research gaze will be directed by disciplinary interests, in others it will be much more open. This chapter discusses techniques that can help students identify their research interests, develop project ideas, and build a rationale for research. It also considers how research is evaluated and explores the idea of quality in research. It begins by dealing with a question that many students ask — what makes a good dissertation project? To answer this question, the idea of research quality is discussed.
11. Collecting Quantitative Data
Authors: Clark Tom , Foster Liam , Bryman Alan
Published: October 2019

This chapter discusses the basics of collecting quantitative material. It outlines the nature of quantitative data in the context of the research process, before exploring the differences between primary and secondary data. In doing so, it highlights some of the benefits of using secondary data sets for the purposes of dissertation-based research. The chapter then examines the relationship between research questions, concepts, and variables, before exploring how quantitative data can be measured at different levels. Finally, it offers some useful tips and advice concerning one technique that is particularly common in student projects — the questionnaire — and demonstrates the different ways in which questionnaires can be developed and administered.
13. Analysing Quantitative Data
Authors: Clark Tom , Foster Liam , Bryman Alan
Published: October 2019

This chapter discusses two approaches to analyse quantitative data: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics allows the student to summarize and describe data, whereas inferential statistics enables him or her to infer answers from the data using hypotheses. Both approaches can be extremely useful. The chapter details some of the techniques associated with these approaches, and helps the student to choose which techniques are appropriate for the data collected. In showing how to present data appropriately, it also explores ways to discuss findings in an evidence-informed manner. By introducing some of the basic ideas involved in quantitative analysis, the chapter provides students with skills that can be employed in a quantitative dissertation.
15. Working with Documents
Authors: Clark Tom , Foster Liam , Bryman Alan
Published: October 2019

Although much of the data used in social science dissertation projects is produced by interviews, surveys, and participant observation, there are other forms of data that can be used for the purposes of social science. This chapter explores some of this ‘documentary’ data and how to use it for the purposes of research. Documentary forms of data have some significant advantages that make them particularly useful for student research projects. This does not mean that they are without problems, but the chapter provides a practical guide for those who are prepared to look beyond familiar horizons. It makes the case for using documents; explores what can be included under the broad heading of documents; and introduces both quantitative and qualitative content analysis as a means to analyse documents.
A Tale of Bias: Longitudinal Evidence of the Effect of Electoral Defeat on Citizens’ Evaluations of the Economy
Authors: Quaranta Mario , Mancosu Moreno , Martini Sergio
Published: October 2019

The winner–loser electoral status may affect citizens’ perceptions of the national economy. In the context of Europe, this issue has aroused little interest as multi-party competition makes it difficult to study. We look at the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum, a top-down national referendum, which approximates second-order elections and divides voters in two groups, allowing the study of the effects of elections on opinions. Using a pre-post referendum panel survey, results show that losers—relying on motivated reasoning—radically change their retrospective and prospective economic evaluations after the referendum, and that this effect is conditional on party identification. The article provides new evidence on the role of partisan loyalties in the adjustment of economic perceptions.
Damped second order flow applied to image denoising
Authors: Baravdish G , Svensson O , Gulliksson M , Zhang Y
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we introduce a new image denoising model: the damped flow (DF), which is a second order nonlinear evolution equation associated with a class of energy functionals of an image. The existence, uniqueness and regularization property of DF are proven. For the numerical implementation, based on the Störmer–Verlet method, a discrete DF, SV-DDF, is developed. The convergence of SV-DDF is studied as well. Several numerical experiments, as well as a comparison with other methods, are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of SV-DDF.
Higher Complex Structures
Authors: Fock Vladimir , Thomas Alexander
Published: October 2019

We introduce and analyze a new geometric structure on topological surfaces generalizing the complex structure. To define this so-called higher complex structure, we use the punctual Hilbert scheme of the plane. The moduli space of higher complex structures is defined and is shown to be a generalization of the classical Teichmüller space. We give arguments for the conjectural isomorphism between the moduli space of higher complex structures and Hitchin’s component.
‘Still Waiting’ for Justice: Migrant Workers’ Perspectives on Labour Exploitation in Ireland
Authors: Murphy Clíodhna , Doyle David M , Murphy Muiréad
Published: October 2019

Although there is a growing recognition that a labour law approach is well-placed to tackle migrant workers’ vulnerability to labour exploitation, empirical studies in this field are few and far between. This article explores how migrant workers subjected to severe and routine exploitation experience the Irish labour law framework in practice. Drawing on interviews with 23 workers, as well as legal and policy analysis, the research shows that those who have endured the ‘continuum’ between routine and severe labour exploitation have many commonalities in their lived experiences of labour conditions and law. It is argued that the key problems identified by this research—the intertwinement of employment and immigration enforcement; workers’ lack of awareness of employment rights; the ineffectiveness of labour inspections; the uncertain impact of undocumented status on employment rights and difficulties with enforcing employment awards—all point to the failure of institutional labour protections for migrant workers in Ireland. By enabling a more nuanced understanding of exploited migrant workers’ needs and perspectives, this study contributes to the ongoing debate on how to develop better regulatory and institutional conditions in Ireland and beyond.
West Indian Canefly (Hemiptera: Delphacidae): An Emerging Pest of Louisiana Sugarcane
Authors: Wilson B E , Beuzelin J M , Richard R T , Johnson R M , Gravois K A , White W H
Published: October 2019

The West Indian canefly, Saccharosydne saccharivora (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a sporadic pest of sugarcane in Louisiana which has recently emerged as a more consistent threat with outbreaks occurring in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2019. Surveys of commercial fields in 2016 revealed that S. saccharivora infestations were present throughout Louisiana sugarcane and populations peaked in mid-June before declining. High minimum winter temperatures are generally associated with S. saccharivora outbreaks. Six insecticide evaluations demonstrated effective control with several insecticides including λ-cyhalothrin, flupyradifurone, acetamiprid, and imidacloprid. In five of the six insecticide trials, S. saccharivora infestations had substantially declined by 21 d after treatment. Effects of insecticidal control of S. saccharivora on sugar yields were detected in one of four small plot trials in which yield data were collected. Linear regression revealed S. saccharivora cumulative insect days in a grid sampling study were inversely associated with sugar yields. Results from these collective experiments suggest impacts on sugar yields are influenced by pest density and infestation duration. Differences were detected in numbers of S. saccharivora nymphs and adults as well as sooty mold coverage among commercial sugarcane cultivars with more than twofold increases in the most susceptible compared to resistant cultivars. The research presented herein documents the impact of S. saccharivora to Louisiana sugarcane and provides important ground work for developing effective pest management strategies. Future research efforts should aim to identify ecological factors influencing population dynamics, varietal preferences, and economic thresholds.
The War Crime of Starvation in Non-International Armed Conflict
Authors: D’Alessandra Federica , Gillett Matthew
Published: October 2019

The starvation of civilians is an all too frequent feature of armed conflict. While starvation may occur as an unintended consequence of military activities, it is also sometimes intentionally used by conflicting parties as a method of warfare. There is a broad consensus that the employment of starvation tactics during armed conflict is morally repugnant. This condemnation is reflected in many instruments of international law, which prohibit the use of starvation as a method of warfare in all armed conflicts. Despite this apparent consensus, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court only includes the starvation of civilians as a war crime when it is committed during an international armed conflict. In the face of this anomaly, Switzerland has proposed an amendment to the Rome Statute, whereby the crime of starving civilians would also apply to non-international armed conflicts. The following analysis addresses the key issues arising from the Swiss proposal, including the legal basis for the prohibition under customary and conventional international law, the elements of the proposed formulation, and the policy implications of adopting such an amendment to the Rome Statute.
WTO’ing a Resolution to the China Subsidy Problem
Authors: Bown Chad P , Hillman Jennifer A
Published: October 2019

The USA, European Union, and Japan have begun a trilateral process to confront the Chinese economic model, including its use of industrial subsidies and deployment of state-owned enterprises. This paper seeks to identify the main areas of tension and to assess the legal-economic challenges to constructing new rules to address the underlying conflict. It begins by providing a brief history of subsidy disciplines in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and World Trade Organization predating any concerns introduced by China. It then describes contemporary economic problems with China’s approach to subsidies, their impact, and the apparent ineffectiveness of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures to address them. Finally, it calls for increased efforts to measure and pinpoint the source of the problems—in a manner analogous to how the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development took on agricultural subsidies in the 1980s—before providing a legal-economic assessment of proposals for reforms to notifications, evidence, remedies, enforcement, and the definition of a subsidy.
Between sentential and model-based abductions: a dialogical approach
Authors: Barés Gómez Cristina , Fontaine Matthieu
Published: October 2019

Most of the standard approaches consider abduction in terms of a backward reasoning and miss some of its fundamental features. Overall, they neglect its pragmatic dimension and the conjectural aspect of the conclusion. In this paper, we approach abduction in terms of strategic adjustment process in the context of dialogical logic. This sheds light on the use of conjectures in argumentative interactions. Although abductive dialogues are sometimes based upon sentential conjectures, they can also involve hypotheses about the context of argumentation itself. Indeed, the underlying logic of an argumentative interaction is not always settled since the beginning. In this context, abduction is not only concerned with the introduction of sentential hypotheses, but also with hypotheses concerning the structural rules governing the dialogue itself. We thus emphasize the instrumental dimension of abduction in dialogues.
Endovascular treatment of iatrogenic iliocaval fistula post lumbar disc surgery
Authors: Alshabatat Ashraf , Srayrah Shaden , Aljfoot Sameer , Obiedat Laith , Alsharoa Sakher , Janho Kristi , Alzoob’I Omar
Published: October 2019

A 39-year-old patient presented with a history of right-side heart failure (dyspnea and orthopnea), right lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, and hepatic impairment. A physical exam showed increased jugular venous pressure, hepatomegaly, and bilateral lower limb pitting edema. A computed tomography angiograph revealed an arteriovenous communication between the right iliac artery and inferior vena cava (IVC) at the level of L4/L5. The patient was diagnosed with a large arteriovenous fistula (AVF), which developed post lumbar disc surgery. Fistulas between the common iliac arteries and IVC are very rare post lumbar disc surgery. Acquired iliocaval AVF is much more difficult to treat surgically because of the risk of massive hemorrhage. The patient underwent a successful endovascular stent graft repair. The patient’s symptoms of heart failure including exertional dyspnea and orthopnea were resolved 6 months post surgery.
Reliability of the New AOSpine Classification System for Upper Cervical Traumatic Injuries
Authors: Maeda Fernando Luís , Formentin Cleiton , de Andrade Erion Júnior , Rodrigues Pedro Augusto Sousa , Goyal Dhruv K C , Shroeder Gregory D , Patel Alpesh A , Vaccaro Alexander R , Joaquim Andrei Fernandes
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

The new AOSpine Upper Cervical Classification System (UCCS) was recently proposed by the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Trauma team to standardize the treatment of upper cervical traumatic injuries (UCI). In this context, evaluating its reliability is paramount prior to clinical use.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the reliability of the new AOSpine UCCS.

METHODS

A total of 32 patients with UCI treated either nonoperatively or with surgery by one of the authors were included in the study. Injuries were classified based on the new AO UCCS according to site and injury type using computed tomography scan images in 3 planes by 8 researchers at 2 different times, with a minimum interval of 4 wk between assessments. Intra- and interobserver reliability was assessed using the kappa index (K). Treatment options suggested by the evaluators were also assessed.

RESULTS

Intraobserver agreement for sites ranged from 0.830 to 0.999, 0.691 to 0.983 for types, and 0.679 to 0.982 for the recommended treatment. Interobserver analysis at the first assessment was 0.862 for injury sites, 0.660 for types, and 0.585 for the treatment, and at the second assessment, it was 0.883 for injury sites, 0.603 for types, and 0.580 for the treatment. These results correspond to a high level of agreement of answers for the site and type analysis and a moderate agreement for the recommended treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study reported an acceptable reproducibility of the new AO UCCS and safety in recommending the treatment. Further clinical studies with a larger patient sample, multicenter and international, are necessary to sustain the universal and homogeneity quality of the new AO UCCS.
Neuro-Oncology Practice Clinical Debate: stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy following surgical resection for brain metastasis
Authors: Palmer Joshua D , Greenspoon Jeffrey , Brown Paul D , Johnson Derek R , Roberge David
Published: October 2019

The treatment of resected brain metastasis has shifted away from the historical use of whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) toward adjuvant radiosurgery (stereotactic radiosurgery [SRS]) based on a recent prospective clinical trial demonstrating less cognitive decline with the use of SRS alone and equivalent survival as compared with WBRT. Whereas all level 1 evidence to date concerns single-fraction SRS for postoperative brain metastasis, there is emerging evidence that fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) may improve local control at the resected tumor bed. The lack of direct comparative data for SRS vs FSRT results in a diversity in clinical practice. In this article, Greenspoon and Roberge defend the use of SRS as the standard of care for resected brain metastasis, whereas Palmer and Brown argue for FSRT.
Injury narratives in occupational safety and health prevention in Italy
Authors: Fubini L , Pasqualini O , Ferro E , Marino M , Santoro S , Tosco E , Gilardi L
Published: October 2019

Background

Storytelling is an effective information source when coupled with technical-scientific evidence. It can promote a structured relationship between evidence-based knowledge and field experience of workplace safety and prevention services (WSPS) inspectors. This is key to identifying the causes of workplace injuries and to set priorities for prevention strategies.

Aims

The main aim was to describe and report how story collection can be used for deriving validated indications for injury prevention. The specific objectives were to report the results of the creation and dissemination on the web of the story collection and the experience of setting up a community of practice (CoP) to develop preventive recommendations.

Methods

WSPS inspectors from local health boards in Piedmont (northwest Italy) were asked to write injury stories. They identified the key elements of their stories and developed a narrative of witness accounts to explore the critical issues identified during the investigation. In sessions with the CoP, the inspectors validated the indications for prevention elaborated in each story to reduce bias and standardize recommendations.

Results

Between 2012 and 2017, 60 WSPS inspectors wrote 53 injury stories which were collected and published on the institutional website. Twenty-two stories were selected for discussion during peer review sessions in the CoP and the indications for prevention were transformed as preventive solutions.

Conclusions

Occupational safety and health prevention can benefit from a narrative-based approach that provides a more comprehensive look at health and safety by facilitating knowledge improvement and sharing.
Recommended First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy Regimens and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in HIV-Infected Adults in Resource-Limited Settings
Authors: Paengsai Ninutcha , Jourdain Gonzague , Salvadori Nicolas , Tantraworasin Apichat , Mary Jean Yves , Cressey Tim Roy , Chaiwarith Romanee , Bowonwatanuwong Chureeratana , Bhakeecheep Sorakij , Kosachunhanun Natapong
Published: October 2019

Objective

The use of some antiretroviral drugs has been associated with a higher risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) in HIV-infected patients, but the risk associated with antiretroviral drug combinations remains unclear. We investigated the association between first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016, and the risk of DM in adults.

Method

We selected all HIV-infected adults within the Thai National AIDS Program who started a first-line ART regimen consisting the following between October 2006 and September 2013: zidovudine+lamivudine+nevirapine; tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)+lamivudine+nevirapine; zidovudine+lamivudine+efavirenz; TDF+lamivudine/emtricitabine+efavirenz; zidovudine+lamivudine+ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r); or TDF+lamivudine+LPV/r. Diagnosis of DM was defined as having at least 2 of the following characteristics: fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dl, 2010 WHO ICD-10 codes E11-E14, or prescription of antidiabetic drugs. To identify ART regimens associated with DM, we used competing risks regression models that considered mortality without DM as a competing event and adjusted for sex, age, pancreas disease, and stratified by groups defined by a score summarizing the propensity to receive a specific first-line ART regimen.

Results

Data from 35 710 adults (49.1% male; median age, 35.0 years; median follow-up, 2.0 years) were included. In the multivariable analysis with zidovudine+lamivudine+nevirapine as the reference group, a higher risk of DM was observed with TDF+lamivudine/emtricitabine+efavirenz (adjusted sub-distribution hazard ratio [aSHR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–1.9), zidovudine+lamivudine+efavirenz (aSHR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.7–2.3), and TDF+lamivudine+LPV/r (aSHR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9–3.9).

Conclusions

Several of the WHO recommended ART regimens, particularly tenofovir + lamivudine +LPV/r and regimens containing efavirenz, may be associated with an increased risk of DM.
Molecular Evidence of Influenza A Virus Circulation in African Dromedary Camels Imported to Saudi Arabia, 2017–2018
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulaziz , Hassan Ahmed M , Tolah Ahmed M , Alamari Sawsan S , Alzahrani Abdulrahman A , Alsaaidi Ghaleb A , Abujamel Turki S , Azhar Esam I , Hashem Anwar M
Published: October 2019

Little is known about influenza A viruses in dromedaries. Here, we detected influenza A viral RNA in 11 specimens (1.7 %) out of 665 nasal swabs collected from dromedaries between 2017 and 2018 in Saudi Arabia. Positive samples were detected only in imported camels from Sudan and Djibouti but not local ones. Partial genome sequencing indicates a close relationship to 2009–2019 human/swine influenza A H1N1 isolates from different countries, suggesting possible interspecies transmission. Taken together, dromedaries could represent a potentially unrecognized permissive host for these viruses, highlighting the need for enhanced surveillance in animals to aid implementation of one-health strategies.
P25 Magnetic resonance imaging findings in children with Parry Romberg syndrome and en coup de sabre
Authors: Knights Harry , Minas Elizabeth , Khan Faraan , Mankad Kshitij , Shaw Lindsay , Obaidi Muthana Al , Eleftheriou Despina
Published: October 2019

Poster presentation Tuesday 8 October

Background

En coup de sabre (ECDS) is a form of linear scleroderma characterised by skin induration followed by unilateral pigmentation dysregulation over the frontoparietal region with associated scarring. Parry Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a sporadic neurocutaneous disease characterised by slow and progressive hemifacial atrophy of the skin, muscles, and bony structures. Both conditions are associated with neurological symptoms such as headache and seizures. A wide variety of magnetic resonance findings associated with these conditions have been described. However, to date, attempts to identify predictors of MRI abnormalities have remained unsuccessful. The aim of this study was to: (i) describe the abnormalities seen on MRI in a large group of children with PRS/ECDS; and (ii) identify demographic, clinical, and laboratory predictors of MRI abnormalities.

Methods

This was a single centre (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London) retrospective case series of patients with PRS/ECDS seen from 2001-2018. We identified patients with cutaneous symptoms consistent with the clinical descriptions of PRS/ECDS: lateral forehead scleroderma with/without hemifacial atrophy. Presenting clinical, immunological, and MR brain findings are reported. Results are expressed as medians and ranges or frequencies and percentages. Fisher’s exact test was used to identify clinical associations with MRI abnormalities.

Results

A total of 17 patients were identified: 7 males and 10 females; median age 13 years (range 3 – 23). Non-cutaneous manifestations included seizures, headaches, stroke, cranial nerve dysfunction, anxiety, hypertension, hypermobility, Raynaud’s, myositis, and gastro-oesophageal reflux. The positive MR findings included ipsilateral enhanced white matter signalling, mineral deposition, lateral ventricle dilation, leptomeningeal enhancement, cavernomas, generalised atrophy, and loss of cortical gyration. The presence of seizures and the PRS phenotype were significantly associated with an abnormal MRI (p < 0.05) and showed trends towards significance with ipsilateral enhanced white matter signalling (p = 0.09).

Conclusion

The development of seizures and the PRS phenotype predict abnormalities in MR brain imaging in childhood PRS/ECDS. Baseline and regular monitoring MR brain scans should be carried out in all patients with PRS/ECDS to identify abnormalities associated with the development of seizures.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.