bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New species of Ateuchus and Canthidium (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Costa Rica
Authors: KOHLMANN BERT , SOLIS ANGEL
Published: July 2019

The following new species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Costa Rica are described: Ateuchus earthorum sp. nov. (Ateuchini) and Canthidium (Eucanthidium) darwini sp. nov. (Coprini). Illustrations of the dorsal habitus of the new species and a distribution map are provided, as well as a drawing of the internal sac of Ateuchus earthorum sp. nov.
The ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) redefined, with a description of a new genus Propodilobus
Authors: BRANSTETTER MICHAEL G.
Published: July 2019

The myrmicine ant genus Stenamma Westwood is redefined and a new diagnosis of the worker caste is presented. Justified by both morphology and molecular data, two species are removed from Stenamma and transferred to the genus Lordomyrma Emery: L. bhutanensis (Baroni Urbani) comb. n. and L. sinensis (Ma, Xu, Makio & DuBois) comb. n. Based on compelling differences in morphology, a third species originally described in Stenamma is transferred to the genus Propodilobus gen. n.: P. pingorum (DuBois) comb. n. Molecular results also indicate that Stenamma, as newly defined here, is a monophyletic genus that forms a clade with Aphaenogaster Mayr and Messor Forel. Additional notes on the diversity and distributions of Stenamma, Lordomyrma, and Propodilobus are provided.
Description of a new species of Xenopholis (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Cerrado of Bolivia, with comments on Xenopholis scalaris in Bolivia
Authors: JANSEN MARTIN , ÁLVAREZ LUCINDO GONZALES , KÖHLER GUNTHER
Published: July 2019

We describe a new species of Xenopholis from the Chiquitano Region in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia. The new species can be identified as member of the genus Xenopholis by its vertebral morphology. The new species differs from the other two species of Xenopholis in its unique, uniform dorsal color pattern. It further differs from X. scalaris by having two prefrontals and a narrow septum within each neural spine and perpendicular to its long axis. For X. scalaris we present new records from Bolivia, including the highest altitudinal record for the species and genus (Serranía Beu in the Pilón Lajas Reserve, Department of La Paz, 1500 m).
Systematics of the Carlia fusca complex (Reptilia: Scincidae) from northern Australia
Authors: DONNELLAN S. C. , COUPER P. J. , SAINT K. M. , WHEATON L.
Published: July 2019

Using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers, karyotypes and morphology, we examine the taxonomy of the Australo-papuan scincid lizard Carlia ‘fusca’ complex in northern Australia, all of which had been assigned previously to C. longipes. Carlia longipes, shows substantial variation in Y chromosome morphology between populations, indeed more than is seen between other species of Carlia. Analyses of the molecular genetic data and morphology demonstrate that populations with different Y chromosomes are two different species and also lead to the recognition of a third species from the Torres Strait. We herein define each of these species, for which previously described names can be applied.
Freshwater leeches (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinida) of the Czech Republic (Central Europe): check-list, new records, and remarks on species distributions
Authors: SCHENKOVÁ JANA , SYCHRA JAN , KOŠEL VLADIMÍR , KUBOVÁ NELA , HORECKÝ JAKUB
Published: July 2019

Freshwater leeches (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinida) of the Czech Republic were studied on the basis of recent literature, information in selected databases, and results of recent surveys conducted by the authors. The objectives of this study were to summarize recent taxonomic information, and to update the check-list of leeches using records collected during an eleven-year study (1998 through 2008). Altogether, twenty-four species representing 12 genera and five families are reported for the Czech Republic, including the first reports of Piscicola cf. haranti Jarry, 1960 and Dina punctata Johansson, 1927 for the country. A detailed description of the distributions of rare species and characterization of localities from which they are reported are presented. Plausible modes of dispersal and propagation of species in Central Europe are discussed. According to recent records, leech species are divided into three groups: indigenous species with stable and strong populations (12 species), indigenous species with weak populations known from a limited number of localities (9 species), and species only recently recorded in the Czech Republic (3 species). For scarce or rare species, a category of threat in the Czech Republic according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is recommended. Most of threatened species are inhabitants of lowland wetlands and lowland larger rivers—habitats that are negatively impacted, often catastrophically, by human activities throughout Central Europe. The protection of suitable habitats is the most effective way to protect extant populations of endangered leech species. Six species of leeches are recommended for permanent addition to the Red list of threatened species in the Czech Republic.
Catalogue of the primary types of Cerylonidae, Endomychidae and Latridiidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, with additional notes and clarification of the status of several types
Authors: SHOCKLEY FLOYD W. , VANDENBERG NATALIA J.
Published: July 2019

A checklist with critical data is provided for all primary types (n = 48) of the families Cerylonidae, Endomychidae and Latridiidae deposited in the National Museum of Natural History. Of those, 43 holotypes, 3 lectotypes, and 2 neotypes are represented. This tally includes a lectotype for Geoendomychus punctatus Arrow (1926) and neotype for Rhymbomicrus stephani Pakaluk (1987), both newly designated to promote nomenclatural stability. Fifteen species have at least one paratype, paralectotype, or authoritatively identified non-type specimen associated with the holotype. Type specimens were compared to the original species descriptions to confirm their status, verbatim label data were recorded, and barcode labels were added. In addition to cataloguing the types, notes were made where discrepancies exist between the data labels pinned with the types and the data published with the original species descriptions.
Sialis navasi, a new alderfly species from China (Megaloptera: Sialidae)
Authors: LIU XINGYUE , HAYASHI FUMIO , YANG DING
Published: July 2019

The taxonomic position and synonymy of 11 native afrotropical species of Odontolochini Stebnicka & Howden, 1996 are discussed and re-descriptions are provided. Lectotypes are here designated for Odontolochus sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979. The genus Loeblietus Endrödi, 1973 is formally synonymized with Odontolochus Schmidt, 1916 and seven new species level synonyms are proposed: Odontolochus chevalieri Paulian, 1942 syn. n., O. parcepunctatus Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n., O. sulcatus Endrödi, 1964 syn. n., and Loeblietus sulcatus Endrödi, 1979 syn. n. are found to be junior synonyms of O. raffrayi Paulian, 1942. Odontolochus granulipennis Petrovitz, 1956 syn. n. and O. heyrovskyi Balthasar, 1963 syn. n. are considered conspecific with O. spinicollis (Harold, 1871) and Odontolochus elgonensis Balthasar, 1961 syn. n. conspecific with O. oberthueri (Clouët, 1900). The name Anodontolochus Paulian, 1942 is determined to be unavailable as no type species was designated with the original description. A key to the 11 species of Odontolochus is provided, sexual dimorphic characters are described and illustrated for the first time, and a general diagnosis of the tribe on the world basis is included.
A new species of Ceraticelus Simon from southern California and a redescription of Ceraticelus phylax Ivie & Barrows, its probable sister species (Araneae: Linyphiidae)
Authors: PRENTICE THOMAS R. , REDAK RICHARD A.
Published: July 2019

A new species of Ceraticelus Simon, 1884 from southern California is described, Ceraticelus artemisiae sp. nov. Its probable sister species, Ceraticelus phylax Ivie & Barrows, 1935, a potential adventive species with which it now often co-occurs in southern California, is redescribed for the first time. We provide detailed descriptions of both species because an adequate definition of the genus is lacking and the conformation of the male Ceraticelus palpal bulb has been only superficially treated. We also provide a definition of Ceraticelus based on examination of specimens of the type species, Ceraticelus fissiceps (O. P.-Cambridge). Problems associated with both the conformation of the male bulb and the paracymbium morphology are discussed. Despite the lack of a phylogenetic analysis of Ceraticelus, we propose that Ceraticelus phylax and Ceraticelus artemisiae sp. nov. are sister species based on shared characters that distinguish them from all other congeners. We suggest that the presence of Ceraticelus phylax in California is the result of incidental introduction rather than natural dispersal. Habitat, distribution, and phenology data are presented in the text. Illustrations and a distribution map are also furnished for both species.
Phylogeography and systematic revision of the Egyptian cobra (Serpentes: Elapidae: Naja haje) species complex, with the description of a new species from West Africa
Authors: TRAPE JEAN-FRANÇOIS , CHIRIO LAURENT , BROADLEY DONALD G. , WÜSTER WOLFGANG
Published: July 2019

We use a combination of phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequences and multivariate morphometrics to investigate the phylogeography and systematics of the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) species complex. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial haplotypes reveals a highly distinct clade of haplotypes from the Sudano–Sahelian savanna belt of West Africa, and that the haplotypes of Naja haje arabica form the sister group of North and East African N. h. haje. Multivariate morphometrics confirm the distinctness of the Arabian populations, which are consequently recognised as a full species, Naja arabica Scortecci. The Sudano-Sahelian populations are also found to represent a morphologically distinct taxon, and thus a separate species, which we describe as Naja senegalensis sp. nov. The new species differs from all other members of the N. haje complex by a combination of colour pattern and scalation characteristics (especially higher numbers of scale rows around the neck), and the possession of a unique clade of mtDNA haplotypes. The distribution of the new species includes savanna areas of West Africa, from Senegal to western Niger and Nigeria.
In praise of subgenera: taxonomic status of cobras of the genus Naja Laurenti (Serpentes: Elapidae)
Authors: WALLACH VAN , WÜSTER WOLFGANG , BROADLEY DONALD G.
Published: July 2019

The genus Naja Laurenti, 1768, is partitioned into four subgenera. The typical form is restricted to 11 Asian species. The name Uraeus Wagler, 1830, is revived for a group of four non-spitting cobras inhabiting savannas and open formations of Africa and Arabia, while Boulengerina Dollo, 1886, is applied to four non-spitting African species of forest cobras, including terrestrial, aquatic and semi-fossorial forms. A new subgenus is erected for seven species of African spitting cobras. We recommend the subgenus rank as a way of maximising the phylogenetic information content of classifications while retaining nomenclatural stability.
Ngauratermes arue, new genus and species of nasute termite (Isoptera: Termitidae) from the Amazon
Authors: CONSTANTINO REGINALDO , ACIOLI AGNO N. S.
Published: July 2019

Ngauratermes arue, new termite genus and species from the Amazon region is described based on soldiers and workers. Soldiers are dimorphic, with constricted head and vestigial mandibles with distinct points. Workers are dimorphic, but one worker type is rare. The gut morphology of Ngauratermes is similar to that of Velocitermes and Diversitermes, with a large crop, P1 simple and tubular, enteric valve conical and curved. The relationships of the new genus with other neotropical Nasutitermitinae are discussed.
Fossil carabids from Baltic amber – I –A new species of the genus Calathus Bonelli, 1810(Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichinae)
Authors: ORTUÑO VICENTE M. , ARILLO ANTONIO
Published: July 2019

In this paper a new species of fossil ground-beetle, Calathus elpis n. sp. (Coleoptera, Carabidae) preserved in a piece of Baltic amber (Eocene) is described. A comparison with extant fauna is made, and paleobiology of the species is studied.
New records of water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae) from Thailand, Malaysia and Sulawesi (Indonesia), with the description of four new species
Authors: PESIC VLADIMIR , SMIT HARRY
Published: July 2019

New records of water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae) from Thailand, Malaysia and Sulawesi are presented. Four species new to science, Atractides siamis, A. malayensis, A. tahanensis and A. sulawesiensis, are described; a first description of the male is given for Atractides putihi Wiles, 1991; a first description of the female is given for Atractides tenuipalpis Lundblad, 1969 and A. incertus Lundblad, 1969; two subspecies are elevated to species rank (with their former stem species in parentheses): A. substriatus Lundblad, 1969 (incertus), A. cognatus (K. Viets, 1935) (spatiosus); first records are given for Atractides incertus Lundblad, 1969 (Thailand), A. schwoerbeli Lundblad, 1969 (Thailand, Malaysia), A. tenuipalpis Lundblad, 1969 (Thailand), A. cognatus (K. Viets, 1935) (Thailand) and A. putihi Wiles, 1991 (Thailand).
Dactylogyrids (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) from the gills of the African carp, Labeo coubie Rüppell (Cyprinidae), from Senegal, with descriptions of three new species of Dactylogyrus and the redescription of Dactylogyrus cyclocirrus Paperna, 1973
Authors: MUSILOVÁ NAĎA , ŘEHULKOVÁ EVA , GELNAR MILAN
Published: July 2019

The results of a systematic survey of monogeneans collected from the gills of the African carp, Labeo coubie (Cyprinidae) from the Gambia River basins in the Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal, are presented. The following 11 previously described species belonging to Dactylogyrus and Dogielius (Dactylogyridae) are reported: Dactylogyrus retroversus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1988, Dactylogyrus titus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1988, Dactylogyrus falcilocus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1988, Dactylogyrus decaspirus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1988, Dactylogyrus oligospirophallus Paperna, 1973, Dactylogyrus jaculus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1988, Dogielius anthocolpos Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989, Dogielius clavipenis Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989, Dogielius harpagatus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989, Dogielius complicitus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989, and Dogielius flagellatus Guégan, Lambert & Euzet, 1989. Three new species of Dactylogyrus with 2 haptoral bars are described as follows: Dactylogyrus yassensis n. sp., Dactylogyrus dembae n. sp., and Dactylogyrus leonis n. sp. The sclerotized structures of type and voucher specimens of Dactylogyrus cyclocirrus Paperna, 1973, Dactylogyrus omega Guégan & Lambert, 1991, and Dactylogyrus cf labeous Paperna, 1979 are illustrated for comparative purposes. The type specimens indicate that D. cyclocirrus is based on specimens of two different species, among which the lectotype is designated from the syntypes collected from Labeo cylindricus. Dactylogyrus cyclocirrus of Guégan et al. (1988) and D. cf labeous Paperna, 1979 are considered senior subjective synonyms of D. yassensis n. sp. and D. dembae n. sp., respectively.
Revision of the Genera Diplocladus Fairmaire and Strotocera Schenkling (Coleoptera: Cleridae, Tillinae)
Authors: GERSTMEIER ROLAND , WEISS INGMAR
Published: July 2019

The genera Diplocladus Fairmaire and Strotocera Schenkling are taxonomically revised. Thirty four species are recognized within this revision (11 Diplocladus, 23 Strotocera). Diplocladus tilloides Fairmaire, 1887 n. syn., and Diplocladus rhodesianus Péringuey, 1899 n. syn., are placed in synonymy with Diplocladus louvelii Spinola, 1844; Strotocera sjoestedti Schenkling, 1908 n. syn., is synonymized with Strotocera convexa Hintz, 1905; Strotocera multisignata Pic, 1926 n. syn., is synonymized with Strotocera emerita Péringuey, 1899; Strotocera orangica Kuwert, 1893 n. syn., is synonymized with Strotocera versicolor Chevrolat, 1842 and Strotocera unimaculata Pic, 1953, n. comb., n. syn., is synonymized with Diplocladus discoidalis Schenkling, 1908. The following species are described as new taxa: Diplocladus arabicus, Diplocladus bipunctatus, Diplocladus compactus, Diplocladus ebureofasciatus, Diplocladus nigrinus, Diplocladus rufobasalis, Strotocera auratopilosa, Strotocera bartletti, Strotocera brevefasciata, Strotocera chicoi, Strotocera elegantula, Strotocera mawdsleyi, Strotocera minuscula, Strotocera roberti, Strotocera rufoapicalis, Strotocera similis, Strotocera topolinae, Strotocera werneri. The Madagascan Diplocladus trinotatus (Pic, 1949) is excluded from Diplocladus in this revision; a review of the Madagascan tilline genera is required to determine its correct generic placement. Isocymatodera atricolor (Pic, 1935) new combination, is here removed from Strotocera.
Checklist of Chinese Isotomidae (Collembola) and a description of a new Subisotoma
Authors: GAO YAN , XIONG YAN , POTAPOV MIKHAIL
Published: July 2019

A review of the historical research of Chinese Isotomidae and a checklist of the 70 species of Isotomidae recorded so far from China are given. Subisotoma quadrisensillata sp. nov. from Hainan province (South China) and Dong Nai Province (Southern Vietnam) is described and illustrated. The species is characterized by a disproportional set of sensilla on Abd.I–IV which has never been observed in the family Isotomidae so far.
New placement of the leafhopper genus Idioceroides Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae), with description of a new species
Authors: ZHANG B. , VIRAKTAMATH C. A.
Published: July 2019

The leafhopper genus Idioceroides Matsumura is transferred back to Idiocerinae from Agalliinae where it was erroneously placed. A new species, Idioceroides sichuanensis n. sp. is described and illustrated from Sichuan, China. A key is provided to separate the new species from the only other known species, I. tettigoniformis Matsumura from Taiwan and the female genitalia for species of the genus are described for the first time.
A new arboreal species of Cyrtopodion (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Deh Akro-II Wetlands Complex, Sindh, Pakistan
Authors: MASROOR RAFAQAT
Published: July 2019

A distinctive new thin-toed gecko, Cyrtopodion dehakroense sp. nov. is described from Deh Akro-II Wetlands Complex, Nawabshah, Sindh, bringing the number of species of this genus in Pakistan to nine. The major diagnostic characters of the new species include the presence of 7–9 very narrow, V-shaped, dark brown, transverse dorsal bands on the body from the nape to the level of the vent, four precloacal pores in males, absence of femoral pores, 21–25 rows of ventral scales across midbody, 92–102 scales along ventral midline of body, and presence of paired subcaudal scales under the post-pygal portion of the tail. The species is a desert form and has thus far been found only in sandy areas of this wetlands complex at mean elevations of about 10 m. Strictly nocturnal, it inhabits old-growth trees of Prosopis cineraria (Jand/Kandi) and feeds mainly on a variety of insects.
A new nurse frog of Allobates masniger-nidicola complex (Anura, Aromobatidae) from the east bank of Tapajós River, eastern Amazonia
Authors: DE LIMA MORAES LEANDRO JOÃO CARNEIRO , PAVAN DANTE , LIMA ALBERTINA PIMENTEL
Published: July 2019

The small nurse frogs of the genus Allobates (Anura, Aromobatidae) represent one of the most challenging taxonomic issues of the Neotropics. During several amphibian surveys in the Middle Tapajós River region, state of Pará, Brazil, we collected phenotypic, ecological, and molecular data on species of this genus, leading to the identification of a new species included in the Allobates masniger-nidicola complex. The new species is characterized by a large body size (snout-vent length 19.2–21.7 mm in males and 19.3–22.0 mm in females), finger III not swollen in adult males; cryptic external coloration, with dorsum uniformly ochre; a dark brown lateral stripe and a pale cream ventrolateral stripe; limbs ranging from ochre to orange; throat and chest violaceous in males and yellowish in females. The advertisement call is usually arranged in bouts of four closely spaced notes, which we term 4-pulsed units of repetition (UR), 0.317 s long on average, followed by silent intervals, and an average dominant frequency of 4.163 kHz. The new species also has exotrophic tadpoles with a unique fin morphology, which begins after the body-tail insertion and is deeper posteriorly to half of the caudal length. Sequencing of the 16S and COI regions of the mitochondrial DNA show a genetic p-distance of approximately 6–10% compared to closely related congeners. We discuss the biogeography of the new species based on phylogenetic relationships of the species within the Allobates masniger-nidicola complex and the allopatric geographic distribution in relation to sister taxa. Functional characteristics and geographic restrictions make this species particularly sensitive to the increasing human impact in eastern Amazonia.
A new species of the genus Microgecko Nikolsky, 1907 (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from the southern Zagros Mountains, Iran
Authors: GHOLAMIFARD ALI , RASTEGAR-POUYANI NASRULLAH , RASTEGAR-POUYANI ESKANDAR
Published: July 2019

The dwarf geckos of the genus Microgecko Nikolsky, 1907 comprise five recognized species, ranging from western Iran to northwestern India. Iran harbors four species of the genus Microgecko. Until now, all populations of the genus Microgecko with a single pair of the postmental shields (as a key diagnostic character) were assigned to M. helenae. Here, based on significant differences in scalation characters, distinct coloration, and ecological peculiarities of habitat as well as support of our present molecular study we distinguish and describe a new species, Microgecko varaviensis sp. nov. within the M. helenae complex, from the southern regions of the Zagros Mountains in Fars Province, southern Iran. Detailed information and an updated identification key for the genus Microgecko are also presented.
Revisiting the Dynamics of Eyewall Contraction of Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Li Yuanlong , Wang Yuqing , Lin Yanluan
Published: July 2019

The dynamics of eyewall contraction of tropical cyclones (TCs) has been revisited in this study based on both three-dimensional and axisymmetric simulations and dynamical diagnostics. Because eyewall contraction is closely related to the contraction of the radius of maximum wind (RMW), its dynamics is thus often studied by examining the RMW tendency in previous studies. Recently, Kieu and Stern et al. proposed two different frameworks to diagnose the RMW tendency but had different conclusions. In this study, the two frameworks are evaluated first based on theoretical analysis and idealized numerical simulations. It is shown that the framework of Kieu is a special case of the earlier framework of Willoughby et al. if the directional derivative is applied. An extension of Stern et al.’s approach not only can reproduce but also can predict the RMW tendency. A budget of the azimuthal-mean tangential wind tendency indicates that the contributions by radial and vertical advections to the RMW tendency vary with height. Namely, radial advection dominates the RMW contraction in the lower boundary layer, and vertical advection favors the RMW contraction in the upper boundary layer and lower troposphere. In addition to the curvature, the increase of the radial gradient of horizontal mixing (including the resolved eddy mixing in three dimensions) near the eyewall prohibits eyewall contraction in the lower boundary layer. Besides, the vertical mixing including surface friction also plays an important role in the cessation of eyewall contraction in the lower boundary layer.
Contrasting Spring and Summer Large-Scale Environments Associated with Mesoscale Convective Systems over the U.S. Great Plains
Authors: Song Fengfei , Feng Zhe , Leung L. Ruby , Houze Jr. Robert A. , Wang Jingyu , Hardin Joseph , Homeyer Cameron R.
Published: July 2019

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are frequently observed over the U.S. Great Plains during boreal spring and summer. Here, four types of synoptically favorable environments for spring MCSs and two types each of synoptically favorable and unfavorable environments for summer MCSs are identified using self-organizing maps (SOMs) with inputs from observational data. During spring, frontal systems providing a lifting mechanism and an enhanced Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) providing anomalous moisture are important features identified by SOM analysis for creating favorable dynamical and thermodynamic environments for MCS development. During summer, the composite MCS environment shows small positive convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective inhibition (CIN) anomalies, which are in stark contrast with the large positive CAPE and negative CIN anomalies in spring. This contrast suggests that summer convection may occur even with weak large-scale dynamical and thermodynamic perturbations so MCSs may be inherently less predictable in summer. The two synoptically favorable environments identified in summer have frontal characteristics and an enhanced GPLLJ, but both shift north compared to spring. The two synoptically unfavorable environments feature enhanced upper-level ridges, but differ in the strength of the GPLLJ. In both seasons, MCS precipitation amount, area, and rate are much larger in the frontal-related MCSs than in nonfrontal MCSs. A large-scale index constructed using pattern correlation between large-scale environments and the synoptically favorable SOM types is found to be skillful for estimating MCS number, precipitation rate, and area in spring, but its explanatory power decreases significantly in summer. The low predictability of summer MCSs deserves further investigation in the future.
MJO Teleconnections over the PNA Region in Climate Models. Part I: Performance- and Process-Based Skill Metrics
Authors: Wang Jiabao , Kim Hyemi , Kim Daehyun , Henderson Stephanie A. , Stan Cristiana , Maloney Eric D.
Published: July 2019

We propose a set of MJO teleconnection diagnostics that enables an objective evaluation of model simulations, a fair model-to-model comparison, and a consistent tracking of model improvement. Various skill metrics are derived from teleconnection diagnostics including five performance-based metrics that characterize the pattern, amplitude, east–west position, persistence, and consistency of MJO teleconnections and additional two process-oriented metrics that are designed to characterize the location and intensity of the anomalous Rossby wave source (RWS). The proposed teleconnection skill metrics are used to compare the characteristics of boreal winter MJO teleconnections (500-hPa geopotential height anomaly) over the Pacific–North America (PNA) region in 29 global climate models (GCMs). The results show that current GCMs generally produce MJO teleconnections that are stronger, more persistent, and extend too far to the east when compared to those observed in reanalysis. In general, models simulate more realistic teleconnection patterns when the MJO is in phases 2–3 or phases 7–8, which are characterized by a dipole convection pattern over the Indian Ocean and western to central Pacific. The higher model skill for phases 2, 7, and 8 may be due to these phases producing more consistent teleconnection patterns between individual MJO events than other phases, although the consistency is lower in most models than observed. Models that simulate realistic RWS patterns better reproduce MJO teleconnection patterns.
Making better choices about mental health investment: The case for urgent reform of Australia’s Better Access Program
Authors: Rosenberg Sebastian , Hickie AM Ian
Published: July 2019

Objective:

To explore the impact of proposed expansion of Australia’s Better Access Program and alternatives.

Method:

Australia’s Better Access Program, which costs taxpayers AUD28 million every week, is once again the focus of national political and professional scrutiny. The current Medicare Review calls for a massive expansion. This article reviews its history and context. It challenges the recommendations made by the Review. It also provides three scenarios which model the proposed expansion, with significant implications for consumers, the workforce and taxpayers.

Results:

The capacity for continued growth of the Program is demonstrated. At the same time.

Conclusion:

There has been recent evidence suggesting the impact of the programme on key mental health indicators in Australia has been negligible, while also perpetuating social, economic and geographic inequities. While advocacy for increased mental health expenditure is easy, active reform of existing patterns of service is hard. Nonetheless, this article suggests that it is timely to reconsider the structure and scale of this AUD1.5 billion annual investment, which has the potential to grow to up to AUD10 billion per year over the next decade. In our view, it is possible to make the programme fit for purpose in the 21st century. Specifically, the principal focus could be shifted to better support the interdisciplinary, team-based care that responds to the needs of people with more complex mental health problems. An increased role for incorporation of digital technologies alongside clinical services is part of the mix. The combination of changes suggested would suggest that the programme could be rebranded as ‘Better Access and Quality’. This shift in the primary focus of the clinical programme away from brief interventions for those with lower needs to more sustained interventions with those with greater impairment requires new service models, as well as new regionally based health care systems. In addition, we propose specific outcomes that can be measured regionally, and collated nationally, to properly evaluate the impact of the programme and drive systemic quality improvement.
“We Sleep with One Eye Open”: Exploring the Experiences of Churches in Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Nche George C , Wachukwu Chikodi , Nwaoga Chinyere T , Mokwenye Ekene M , Agwu Prince , Alagboso Daniel I
Published: July 2019

In instances of insecurity in many societies, churches “also” suffer. Yet there is a dearth of literature exploring the experiences of churches in connection with situations of insecurity. This study, therefore, explored the experiences of churches in the face of the high rate of insecurity in Rivers State, Nigeria. Information was elicited from 16 church leaders of different denominations in different communities in Rivers State. Using a descriptive narrative approach, the study found that churches’ experiences in some communities in the state are reflections of helplessness and despair due to the incidences of cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. Many churches in some of the embattled communities have been deserted or left with a few older people. This has had negative impacts on evangelism and the churches’ economy, with the clergy at the receiving end. The implications of findings for the government and churches are discussed.
Test–Retest Reliability of Skill Tests in the F-MARC Battery for Youth Soccer Players
Authors: Padrón-Cabo Alexis , Rey Ezequiel , Pérez-Ferreirós Alexandra , Kalén Anton
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the test–retest reliability of soccer skill tests belonging to the F-MARC test battery. To avoid bias during talent identification and development, coaches and scouts should be using reliable tests for assessing soccer-specific skills in young male players. Fifty-two U-14 outfield male soccer players performed F-MARC soccer skill tests on two occasions, separated by 7 days. After familiarization, we administered two trial sessions of five skill tests: speed dribbling, juggling, shooting, passing, and heading. We assessed absolute reliability by expressing the standard error of measurement as a coefficient of variation with 95% limits of agreement, and we assessed relative reliability with the intraclass correlation coefficient and with Pearson’s correlation ( r). The results demonstrated satisfactory relative and absolute reliability for speed dribbling, right foot juggling, short passing, shooting a dead ball right, shooting from a pass, heading in front, and heading right. However, reliability values for left foot juggling, chest-head-foot juggling, head-left-foot-right foot-chest-head juggling, long pass, and shooting a dead ball left tests were not strong enough to suggest their usage by coaches in training or sport scientists in research.
Acceptance of Opt-Out HIV Screening in Outpatient Settings in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gebrezgi Merhawi T. , Mauck Daniel E. , Sheehan Diana M. , Fennie Kristopher P. , Cyrus Elena , Degarege Abraham , Trepka Mary Jo
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

In the United States, about 15% of persons living with HIV infection do not know they are infected. Opt-out HIV screening aims to normalize HIV testing by performing an HIV test during routine medical care unless the patient declines. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the acceptance of opt-out HIV screening in outpatient settings in the United States.

Methods:

We searched in PubMed and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) for studies published from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2018, of opt-out HIV screening in outpatient settings. We collected data from selected studies and calculated for each study (1) the percentage of persons who were offered HIV testing, (2) the percentage of persons who accepted the test, and (3) the percentage of new HIV diagnoses among persons tested. We also collected information on the reasons given by patients for opting out. The meta-analysis used a random-effects model to estimate the average percentages of HIV testing offered, HIV testing accepted, and new HIV diagnoses.

Results:

We initially identified 6986 studies; the final analysis comprised 14 studies. Among the 8 studies that reported the size of the study population eligible for HIV screening, 71.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53.9%-89.0%) of the population was offered an HIV test on an opt-out basis. The test was accepted by 58.7% (95% CI, 47.2%-70.2%) of persons offered the test. Among 9 studies that reported data on new HIV diagnoses, 0.18% (95% CI, 0.08%-0.26%) of the persons tested had a new HIV diagnosis. Patients’ most frequently cited reasons for refusal of HIV screening were that they perceived a low risk of having HIV or had previously been tested.

Conclusions:

The rates of offering and accepting an HIV test on an opt-out basis could be improved by addressing health system and patient-related factors. Setting a working target for these rates would be useful for measuring the success of opt-out HIV screening programs.
Place-by-proxy: Care infrastructures in a foundling room
Authors: Ivanova Dara , Wallenburg Iris , Bal Roland
Published: July 2019

The concept of place has become fertile ground for sociological investigations, yet it is still undertheorized and in need of further development. Its most advanced employment is to be found within a sociological agenda on materialities of care and health architecture. In this article, we build on this work to conceptualize ‘placed care’ and to show how ecologies of care are produced and maintained through care infrastructures. The article investigates the case of an illegal baby foundling room in the Netherlands, where one may abandon one’s infant anonymously. We conceptualize this place, continuously produced through its care infrastructures, as ‘place-by-proxy’: a place that allows, by virtue of simply being there, for the animation of infrastructures around it. With this concept, we advance discussions on places as bounded and open, pointing to the work and consequences of ‘binding’ place and opening up the concept for further application to various sociological concerns, particularly in healthcare.
Middle School Music Ensemble Participation, Homophobic Name-Calling, and Mental Health
Authors: Rawlings Jared R. , Espelage Dorothy L.
Published: July 2019

Homophobic name-calling is commonplace in middle schools and is emerging as an antecedent to more serious, deleterious concerns, including depressive or anxious symptoms among youth. While music education researchers suggest that youth enrolled in music ensembles are targets for homophobic epitaphs, little is known about how experiencing homophobic teasing during early adolescence relates to their self-reported mental health. Using data from a large-scale investigation of middle school youth, we examined the prevalence of homophobic name-calling and its relationship on indicators of mental health, including depression and anxiety. Results indicate that being a target of homophobic victimization has significant mental health consequences for youth in the current sample, although differentially for youth participating in a music ensemble and those who do not. Music ensembles are complex social environments, and our results raise questions about how prevalent or localized homophobic epitaphs are for youth enrolled in music ensembles when compared with those who are not.
Evaluation of the Golden Ratio in Nasal Conchae for Surgical Anatomy
Authors: Petekkaya Emine , Ulusoy Mahinur , Bagheri Hassan , Şanlı Şükrü , Ceylan Mehmet Seyit , Dokur Mehmet , Karadağ Mehmet
Published: July 2019

Purpose:

The golden ratio is reached by the fractal model of the number sequence which is known as the “Fibonacci series” and has a convergent ratio of approximately 1.618 between 2 consecutive Fibonacci numbers. Golden ratio relationships have been shown in several plants in the nature and several organs and structures in the human body. The conchae, which form an important part of the nasal valve, have a special geometric significant in terms of providing turbulence to the laminar airflow that passes to the nasal cavity.

Methods:

This study made golden ratio calculations on 34 adults aged 20 to 45 years over computed tomography (CT) images. Totally, 34 volunteers (male, n = 18 and female, n = 16) with no nasal pathologies participated in the study. Using Adobe Photoshop, golden ratio calculations were made by applying the Fibonacci spiral on the images that best showed the conchae and meatuses on the CT images.

Results:

The intersection points of the spiral that was projected on the inferior and middle nasal concha were determined as S0, S1, S2, S3, and S4. The distances of S0-S1, S1-S2, S2-S3, and S3-S4 were measured. The concha measurements of the women showed significantly similar values to the golden ratio constant of ∼1.618 in the RS3/S4 and LS3/S4 measurements.

Conclusion:

We found that the S3/S4 region that captured the golden ratio in our study corresponds to the base part of the inferior nasal concha, and its place of spiraling in the nasal cavity is observed to have an important role in creating vortices.
Follow me, I’m famous: travel bloggers’ self-mediated performances of everyday exoticism
Authors: Duffy Andrew , Kang Hillary Yu Ping
Published: July 2019

Celebrity has become common in many fields of endeavour and is increasingly manifested in the emerging form of self-mediated microcelebrity or social media Influencer. One regular tactic for both celebrity and microcelebrity is to use the media for a dual performance at once ordinary and extraordinary, linking the world of the exotic with that of the everyday. Turning the spotlight of (micro)celebrity studies on travel bloggers illuminates social norms and cultural values at the intersection of lifestyle and economics enabled by digital social media, and the role of self-mediation in their online success. This article analyses the About Me sections of 50 popular travel blogs to see how writers take control of their own media representations to combine the everyday with the exotic in such a way that appeals to readers and subsequently to commercial entities – commodifying themselves alongside their readers through media and on their own subjective terms.
Marital Satisfaction Among Taiwanese Young Married Couples: The Effects of Resources and Traditional Norms
Authors: Yi Chin-Chun , Lin Wen-Hsu , Kuo-Hsun Ma Josef
Published: July 2019

This study aims to illustrate the importance of cultural norms for marital satisfaction among young married Taiwanese couples. Data are taken from the Taiwan Youth Project, a longitudinal panel since the year of 2000, with 401 married couple data completed in 2015. Based on the resource theory and contextual cultural perspectives, results confirm that both resources and cultural factors produce significant effects on young couple’s marital satisfaction. As proposed, cultural norms have greater impact on wife’s marital satisfaction. The patrilocal coresidence between generations is especially harmful for wives with full-time job, while negative in-law relations reported by husbands produce more powerful negative influence on the couples. However, gender of the child does not attain expected significance. Findings suggest that both continuity and change of family dynamics is occurring in Taiwan. Future studies need to consider both cultural norms and individual resources in analyzing marital relations in changing East Asian societies.
Evaluating the Impact of Employing Local Tax Collectors to Improve State-Level Licensing Program Outcomes in Florida
Authors: Alvarez Sergio , Bampasidou Maria , Solís Daniel
Published: July 2019

The improvement of public services is an important public policy objective, and several approaches have been proposed and implemented across all levels of government to achieve this goal. A recent policy in Florida (FL) fosters collaboration between local and state governments by allowing local tax collector (TC) offices to receive and support applications for the state’s concealed weapons (CW) license program. We use 80,020 application records to estimate process improvements brought about by this policy. Our analysis shows that by using TCs, the time for the application to be processed was one third the time it needed via mail and about 3% at the regional office. The likelihood of errors in applications and supporting documents decreased significantly. The policy, therefore, has improved the effectiveness of the CW licensing service in FL. Similar initiatives can be adopted by government entities facing bottlenecks in permitting or licensing processes.
Clinical course in children and adolescents with ventricular septal defect
Authors: Noori Noor Mohammad , Teimouri Alireza
Published: July 2019

Background

Ventricular septal defect, the most common congenital heart defect, is characterized by an opening between the ventricles. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical course and associations between the characteristics of ventricular septal defect.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1498 children with ventricular septal defects, aged <19 years, who were referred to our center between 2003 and 2018. The diagnosis was suspected from a combination of clinical and laboratory findings, and confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography.

Results

Of the 1498 children, 54.9% were boys, 78.4% of defects were perimembranous, 30.4% of patients had pulmonary hypertension, 67.5% had regular follow-up, and 76 (5.1%) had complications including 28 (1.9%) with Eisenmenger syndrome; 10 died due to Eisenmenger syndrome during follow-up. The defects closed spontaneously in 38.9% and after surgery in 20.9%. Boys tended to have more perimembranous, inlet, and outlet forms (56.40%, 50.60%, 51.90%, respectively), whereas girls had more muscular types (51.80%). Most patients with pulmonary hypertension had perimembranous defects (83.10%). The majority of patients with pulmonary hypertension had large (63.40%) or moderate (36.60%) defects. Pulmonary hypertension had a significant association with defect size ( p < 0.001). After surgery, residual defects were found mostly in cases of large defects (84.60%). Most patients with spontaneous closure were younger than 4 years.

Conclusion

Almost four-fifths of children with ventricular septal defects had perimembranous types, and almost one-third had pulmonary hypertension which was associated with defect size. Two-fifths of the defects closed spontaneously. There was a low incidence of complications after surgery.
Responding to a TOEFL iBT integrated speaking task: Mapping task demands and test takers’ use of stimulus content
Authors: Frost Kellie , Clothier Josh , Huisman Annemiek , Wigglesworth Gillian
Published: July 2019

Integrated speaking tasks requiring test takers to read and/or listen to stimulus texts and to incorporate their content into oral performances are now used in large-scale, high-stakes tests, including the TOEFL iBT. These tasks require test takers to identify, select, and combine relevant source text information to recognize key relationships between source text ideas, and to organize and transform information. Despite being central to evaluations of validity, relationships between stimulus content, task demands, and the oral discourse produced by test takers are yet to be empirically scrutinized to an adequate degree. In this study, we focus on a TOEFL iBT reading–listening–speaking task, applying discourse analytic measures developed by Frost, Elder and Wigglesworth (2012) to 120 oral performances to examine (a) the integration of source text ideas by test takers across three proficiency levels, and (b) the appropriateness of content-related criteria in the TOEFL integrated speaking rubric. We then combine analyses of these aspects of performances with a qualitative analysis of the generic structure and semantic profiles of stimulus texts to explore relationships between stimulus text properties and oral performances. Findings suggest that the extent to which content-related rating scale criteria distinguish between proficiency levels is contingent on stimulus text properties, with important implications for construct definitions and task design.
Kawasaki disease manifesting as bilateral facial nerve palsy and meningitis: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhang Bo , Hao Yunpeng , Zhang Yanfeng , Yang Nuo , Li Hang , Liang Jianmin
Published: July 2019

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute multisystem vasculitic syndrome that predominantly affects infants and young children. Neurological complications are rare in patients with KD and the diagnosis is challenging. We report a case of KD that manifested as bilateral facial nerve palsy and meningitis.

Case report

A 6-month-old boy presented with a 10-day history of fever. Four days before admission, the patient developed a rash, conjunctival injection, perioral and perianal excoriation, and bilateral facial nerve palsy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. Echocardiography showed dilated coronary arteries and coronary artery aneurysms. A cerebrospinal fluid examination showed an elevated leukocyte count. A diagnosis of KD was made, and the patient was treated with gamma globulin and aspirin. The patient’s fever subsided on the following day and the right-sided facial nerve palsy was relieved 1 month later. An 18-month follow-up showed that the left-sided facial nerve palsy persisted and the patient’s condition remained stable.

Conclusion

KD manifesting as bilateral facial nerve palsy and meningitis is extremely rare. Clinicians should be aware of this condition, and early diagnosis and appropriate treatment should be emphasized.