Nectar distribution and its relation to food quality in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies

In honeybees (Apis niellifera), the process of nectar collection is considered a straightforward example of task partitioning with two subtasks or two intersecting cycles of activity: (1) foraging and (2) storing of nectar, linked via its transfer between foragers and food processors. Many observations suggest, however, that nectar colleclion and processing in honeybees is a complex process, involving workers of other sub-castes and depending on variables such as resource profitability or the amount of stored honey. It has been observed that food processor bees often distribute food to other hive bees after receiving it from incoming foragers, instead of storing it immediately in honey cells. While there is little information about the sub-caste affiliation and the behaviour of these second-order receivers, this stage may be important for the rapid distribution of nutrients and related information. To investigate the identity of these second-order receivers, we quantified behaviours following nectar transfer and compared these behaviours with the behaviour of average worker hive-bees. Furthermore, we tested whether food quality (sugar concentration) affects the behaviour of the second-order receivers. Of all identified second-order receivers, 59.3% performed nurse duties, 18.5% performed food-processor duties and 22.2% performed forager duties. After food intake, these bees were more active, had more trophallaxes (especially offering contacts) compared to average workers and they were found mainly in the brood area, independent of food quality. Our results show that the liquid food can be distributed rapidly among many bees of the three main worker sub-castes, without being stored in honey cells first. Furthermore, the results suggest that the rapid distribution of food partly depends on the high activity of second-order receivers.

Practice and perception--a nationwide survey of therapy habits in sepsis

OBJECTIVE: To simultaneously determine perceived vs. practiced adherence to recommended interventions for the treatment of severe sepsis or septic shock. DESIGN: One-day cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Representative sample of German intensive care units stratified by hospital size. PATIENTS: Adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Practice recommendations were selected by German Sepsis Competence Network (SepNet) investigators. External intensivists visited intensive care units randomly chosen and asked the responsible intensive care unit director how often these recommendations were used. Responses "always" and "frequently" were combined to depict perceived adherence. Thereafter patient files were audited. Three hundred sixty-six patients on 214 intensive care units fulfilled the criteria and received full support. One hundred fifty-two patients had acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Low-tidal volume ventilation < or = 6 mL/kg/predicted body weight was documented in 2.6% of these patients. A total of 17.1% patients had tidal volume between 6 and 8 mL/kg predicted body weight and 80.3% > 8 mL/kg predicted body weight. Mean tidal volume was 10.0 +/- 2.4 mL/kg predicted body weight. Perceived adherence to low-tidal volume ventilation was 79.9%. Euglycemia (4.4-6.1 mmol/L) was documented in 6.2% of 355 patients. A total of 33.8% of patients had blood glucose levels < or = 8.3 mmol/L and 66.2% were hyperglycemic (blood glucose > 8.3 mmol/L). Among 207 patients receiving insulin therapy, 1.9% were euglycemic, 20.8% had blood glucose levels < or = 8.3 mmol/L, and 1.0% were hypoglycemic. Overall, mean maximal glucose level was 10.0 +/- 3.6 mmol/L. Perceived adherence to strict glycemic control was 65.9%. Although perceived adherence to recommendations was higher in academic and larger hospitals, actual practice was not significantly influenced by hospital size or university affiliation. CONCLUSIONS: This representative survey shows that current therapy of severe sepsis in German intensive care units complies poorly with practice recommendations. Intensive care unit directors perceive adherence to be higher than it actually is. Implementation strategies involving all intensive care unit staff are needed to overcome this gap between current evidence-based knowledge, practice, and perception.

Archeological Investigations at the Big Creek Lake Site (24RA34)

In August 1977 excavation was conducted at the Big Creek Lake site -24RA34- at the outlet of the 91g Creek Lakes, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area, Ravalli County, Montana. The site contained shallow, disturbed deposits and lacks any statisgraphic separation. One of these occupations was identified by a projectile point type not previously reported from the area. This was termed Big Creek Corner Notched and its temporal affiliation is not precisely known. Comparative material from Colorado and Alberta suggest either Early Archaic or Late Archaic affiliation. The occupations exemplified by Big Creek Corner Notched points and by Pelican Lake-Elko points (Late Archaic 1000 B.B – A.D. 200) were the most prevalent at the site. Less intensive occupations are by ·Middle Plains Archaic McKean points and Late Prehistoric small side notche arrow points. Microscopic analysis of tool working edges shows several of the projectile point forms were used as multi-functional implements. especially as butchering tools. Many of the types of chipped stone recovered from the site are from known sources in western Montana; indicating group movements within the eastern portion of the Intermountain region. Based on the numerous projectile points and cutting tools, the site is interpreted as a seasonally occupied base camp for hunters.

Molecular characterization of aromatic peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita

Recently, a novel group of fungal peroxidases, known as the aromatic peroxygenases (APO), has been discovered. Members of these extracellular biocatalysts produced by agaric basidiomycetes such as Agrocybe aegerita or Coprinellus radians catalyze reactions--for example, the peroxygenation of naphthalene, toluene, dibenzothiophene, or pyridine--which are actually attributed to cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Here, for the first time, genetic information is presented on this new group of peroxide-consuming enzymes. The gene of A. aegerita peroxygenase (apo1) was identified on the level of messenger RNA and genomic DNA. The gene sequence was affirmed by peptide sequences obtained through an Edman degradation and de novo peptide sequencing of the purified enzyme. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the course of enzyme activity correlated well with that of mRNA signals for apo1 in A. aegerita. The full-length sequences of A. aegerita peroxygenase as well as a partial sequence of C. radians peroxygenase confirmed the enzymes' affiliation to the heme-thiolate proteins. The sequences revealed no homology to classic peroxidases, cytochrome P450 enzymes, and only little homology (<30%) to fungal chloroperoxidase produced by the ascomycete Caldariomyces fumago (and this only in the N-terminal part of the protein comprising the heme-binding region and part of the distal heme pocket). This fact reinforces the novelty of APO proteins. On the other hand, homology retrievals in genetic databases resulted in the identification of various APO homologous genes and transcripts, particularly among the agaric fungi, indicating APO's widespread occurrence in the fungal kingdom.

Suicide Bombers in Israel: Their Motivations, Characteristics, and Prior Activity in Terrorist Organizations

This paper examines the characteristics of suicide bombers as reflected in the Israeli press during the Second Intifada in Israel. The analysis aims to determine whether there were significant differences in the characteristics of suicide bombers with religious motives versus those with nationalist motives. The findings reveal that gender, education level, and organizational affiliation correlated significantly with motives for carrying out suicide attacks. Most of the suicide bombers with religious motives were men with elementary education. In addition, the results show that most of the suicide bombers who were affiliated with the Hamas organization acted out of religious motives. No significant differences were found between suicide bombers with religious and those with nationalist motives with regard to age, marital status, and prior activity in terrorist organizations.

Policing and Islamophobia in Germany – The Role of Workplace Experience

This study starts from a recognition of the German police force as having a significant potential for promoting integration in contemporary multiethnic Germany. It employs three measures of Islamophobic attitudes and contact quality amongst a sample of 727 German police officers, and relates these to measures of job-satisfaction, political affiliation, individual responsibility, and recognition. The data reveal Islamophobia to be significantly linked to these variables. Detailed analyses indicate that the respondents’ experience of policing may produce levels of dissatisfaction that impacts upon their out-group attitudes. The implications of this for initiatives to promote police–Muslim relations are explored.

Clausewitz’s “Wondrous Trinity” as a Coordinate System of War and Violent Conflict

Rather than discarding Clausewitz’s theory of war in response to the revolutionary changes in modern warfare, this article articulates a broader theory of war based on his concept of the “wondrous trinity,” identifying it as his true legacy. The author shows that the concept of trinitarian war attributed to Clausewitz by his critics, which seems to be applicable only to wars between states, is a caricature of Clausewitz’s theory. He goes on to develop Clausewitz’s theory that war is composed of the three tendencies of violence/force, fighting, and the affiliation of the combatants to a warring community. Each war can be analyzed as being composed of these three tendencies and their opposites.

Religion and suicide in patients with mental illness or cancer

In Switzerland, the highest rates of suicide are observed in persons without religious affiliation and the lowest in Catholics, with Protestants in an intermediate position. We examined whether this association was modified by concomitant psychiatric diagnoses or malignancies, based on 6,909 suicides (ICD-10 codes X60-X84) recorded in 3.69 million adult residents 2001-2008. Suicides were related to mental illness or cancer if codes F or C, respectively, were mentioned on the death certificate. The protective effect of religion was substantially stronger if a diagnosis of cancer was mentioned on the death certificate and weaker if a mental illness was mentioned.

How basic need satisfaction and dispositional motives interact in predicting flow experience in sport

We have integrated the basic psychological needs approach from self-determination theory with motive disposition theory in order to enhance the prediction of flow experience in sports. We hypothesize that an environment that enables people to fulfill their basic psychological needs for competence and social relatedness results in flow. Additionally, we assume that the effect of competence need satisfaction is moderated by the achievement motive and that the effect of need-for-relatedness satisfaction is moderated by the affiliation motive. Four studies show the expected positive effects of need satisfaction on flow and further confirm that high achievement and affiliation-motivated individuals benefit more from competence and relatedness sports environments, respectively, than individuals low in these motives.

Suicide assisted by right-to-die associations: a population based cohort study

Background: In Switzerland, assisted suicide is legal but there is concern that vulnerable or disadvantaged groups are more likely to die in this way than other people. We examined socio-economic factors associated with assisted suicide. Methods: We linked the suicides assisted by right-to-die associations during 2003–08 to a census-based longitudinal study of the Swiss population. We used Cox and logistic regression models to examine associations with gender, age, marital status, education, religion, type of household, urbanization, neighbourhood socio-economic position and other variables. Separate analyses were done for younger (25 to 64 years) and older (65 to 94 years) people. Results: Analyses were based on 5 004 403 Swiss residents and 1301 assisted suicides (439 in the younger and 862 in the older group). In 1093 (84.0%) assisted suicides, an underlying cause was recorded; cancer was the most common cause (508, 46.5%). In both age groups, assisted suicide was more likely in women than in men, those living alone compared with those living with others and in those with no religious affiliation compared with Protestants or Catholics. The rate was also higher in more educated people, in urban compared with rural areas and in neighbourhoods of higher socio-economic position. In older people, assisted suicide was more likely in the divorced compared with the married; in younger people, having children was associated with a lower rate. Conclusions: Assisted suicide in Switzerland was associated with female gender and situations that may indicate greater vulnerability such as living alone or being divorced, but also with higher education and higher socio-economic position.

Full-text publication of abstracts presented at European Orthodontic Society congresses.

INTRODUCTION Empirical evidence has indicated that only a subsample of studies conducted reach full-text publication and this phenomenon has become known as publication bias. A form of publication bias is the selectively delayed full publication of conference abstracts. The objective of this article was to examine the publication status of oral abstracts and poster-presentation abstracts, included in the scientific program of the 82nd and 83rd European Orthodontic Society (EOS) congresses, held in 2006 and 2007, and to identify factors associated with full-length publication. METHODS A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was performed in April 2013 using author names and keywords from the abstract title to locate abstract and full-article publications. Information regarding mode of presentation, type of affiliation, geographical origin, statistical results, and publication details were collected and analyzed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Approximately 51 per cent of the EOS 2006 and 55 per cent of the EOS 2007 abstracts appeared in print more than 5 years post congress. A mean period of 1.32 years elapsed between conference and publication date. Mode of presentation (oral or poster), use of statistical analysis, and research subject area were significant predictors for publication success. LIMITATIONS Inherent discrepancies of abstract reporting, mainly related to presentation of preliminary results and incomplete description of methods, may be considered in analogous studies. CONCLUSIONS On average 52.2 per cent of the abstracts presented at the two EOS conferences reached full publication. Abstracts presented orally, including statistical analysis, were more likely to get published.

Exploring the publications in three major orthodontic journals: a comparative analysis of two 5-year periods.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the types of articles and authorship characteristics of three orthodontic journals--American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO), The Angle Orthodontist (AO), and European Journal of Orthodontics (EJO)--published between 2008 and 2012 and to assess the differences in content within this period and an earlier period of 1998 to 2002. MATERIALS AND METHODS Each journal's content was accessed through the web edition. From each article, the following parameters were recorded: article type, number of authors, number of affiliations, source of article (referring to the first author's affiliation), and geographic origin. Descriptive statistics were performed and selected parameters were analyzed with the Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact test for independence at the .05 level of significance. RESULTS Review of differences between the two periods showed that the number of publications was almost double. The percentages of multi-authored articles increased. Fewer studies derived from the United States/Canada and European Union countries. Increases for articles from non-European Union countries, Asia, and other countries were found. Characteristics of the second period showed that the EJO and AO published more research articles, whereas the AJODO regularly published case reports and other articles. Approximately 75% of all studies derived from orthodontic departments. CONCLUSIONS The publications from 1998-2002 and 2008-2012 were significantly different both in terms of numbers and characteristics. Within 2008-2012 there were notable differences between the three journals concerning the type and origin of the publications.

Implicit motives and basic need satisfaction in extreme endurance sports.

Previous research has shown that the effects of basic psychological needs on the flow experience in sports are moderated by implicit motives. However, so far, only leisure and health-oriented sports have been analyzed. In a pilot study and a main study (N = 29, 93), we tested whether the implicit achievement and affiliation motives interact with the need for competence and the need for social relatedness satisfaction, respectively, to predict flow experience and well-being in extreme endurance athletes. Results showed that highly achievement-motivated individuals benefited more from the need for competence satisfaction in terms of flow than individuals with a low achievement motive did. In addition, highly affiliation-motivated individuals whose need for social relatedness is satisfied reported higher positive affect and lower exercise addiction scores than athletes with a low motive. We discuss the differential effects of the interplay between the achievement and affiliation motives and basic needs on different outcome variables.

Der prognostische Wert von impliziten Motiven für die Talentdiagnostik im Schwimmsport: Die moderierende Rolle unbewusster Impulskontrolle

Bei der Entwicklung junger Talente im Leistungssport stellt sich regelmäßig die Frage nach verbesserten Auswahlkriterien. Im Rahmen der Talentdiagnostik im Leistungssport gelten implizite Motive als vielversprechende Prädiktoren für langfristige Leistungen. Ein Faktor der bisher im Sportkontext nicht berücksichtigt wurde, ist die unbewusste Impulskontrolle, ein Kennwert, der Aufschluss darüber gibt, inwieweit ein Motiv handlungswirksam wird. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde anhand einer Stichprobe von jungen Sportlerinnen und Sportlern der Einfluss der impliziten Motive Leistung und Affiliation in Interaktion mit motivspezifischer Impulskontrolle auf objektive und subjektive Leistungskriterien untersucht. Es wird aufgezeigt, dass bei der Vorhersage der objektiven Leistung ein hohes Leistungsmotiv nur dann einen positiven Effekt besitzt, wenn es nicht durch die Impulskontrolle inhibiert wird. Bei der Vorhersage der subjektiven Leistungskriterien zeigt sich, dass die Inhibition des Anschlussmotivs zu einer besseren Fremdeinschätzung führt. Die Resultate sprechen dafür, neben impliziten Motiven auch deren Zusammenwirken mit Impulskontrolle als Prädiktoren für sportliche Leistung zu analysieren.

Don't forget asking the others! - The added value of significant other's reports on patient interpersonal style for the prediction of therapy process and outcome

Theory: Interpersonal factors play a major role in causing and maintaining depression. It is unclear, however, to what degree significant others of the patient need to be involved for characterizing the patient's interpersonal style. Therefore, our study sought to investigate how impact messages as perceived by the patients' significant others add to the prediction of psychotherapy process and outcome above and beyond routine assessments, and therapist factors. Method: 143 outpatients with major depressive disorder were treated by 24 therapists with CBT or Exposure-Based Cognitive Therapy. Interpersonal style was measured pre and post therapy with the informant‐based Impact Message Inventory (IMI), in addition to the self‐report Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP‐32). Indicators for the patients' dominance and affiliation as well as interpersonal distress were calculated from these measures. Depressive and general symptomatology was assessed at pre, post, and at three months follow‐up, and by process measures after every session. Results: Whereas significant other's reports did not add significantly to the prediction of the early therapeutic alliance, central mechanisms of change, or post‐therapy outcome including therapist factors, the best predictor of outcome 3 months post therapy was an increase in dominance as perceived by significant others. Conclusions: The patients' significant others seem to provide important additional information about the patients' interpersonal style and therefore should be included in the diagnostic process. Moreover, practitioners should specifically target interpersonal change as a potential mechanism of change in psychotherapy for depression.