The modelling of flower colour: spectral purity or colour contrast as biologically relevant descriptors of flower colour signals for bees depending upon the perceptual task.

Flower colour is an important mediator of plant-pollinator interactions. While the reflectance of light from the flower surface and background are governed by physical properties, the perceptual interpretation of such information is generated by complex multilayered visual processing. Should quantitative modelling of flower signals strive for repeatable consistency enabled by parameter simplification, or should modelling reflect the dynamic way in which bees are known to process signals? We discuss why colour is an interpretation of spectral information by the brain of an animal. Different species, or individuals within a species, may respond differently to colour signals depending on sensory apparatus and/or individual experience. Humans and bees have different spectral ranges, but colour theory is strongly rooted in human colour perception and many principles of colour vision appear to be common. We discuss bee colour perception based on physiological, neuroanatomical and behavioural evidence to provide a pathway for modelling flower colours. We examine whether flower petals and floral guides as viewed against spectrally different backgrounds should be considered as a simple colour contrast problem or require a more dynamic consideration of how bees make perceptual decisions. We discuss that plants such as deceptive orchids may present signals to exploit bee perception, whilst many plants do provide honest signalling where perceived saturation indicates the probability of collecting nutritional rewards towards the centre of a flower that then facilitates effective pollination.

Value-driven attitude surveys: Lessons from the refugee crisis in Greece.

Community reaction to refugees and asylum-seekers is often gauged by attitude surveys that are not designed to overcome built-in bias. Questionnaires that do not account for context and background consequently yield results that misrepresent community attitudes and offer predictably negative responses to immigrant groups. Such surveys can alter public perception, fuel anti-refugee sentiment, and affect policy simply because of how they are constructed. This model survey among humanitarian aid-workers from nine Greek non-governmental organizations uses specific techniques designed to overcome these challenges by applying sample familiarity, non-inflammatory hypothesis-testing, educational question stems, intentional ordering of questions, and direct questioning rather than surrogate measures like statistical approximation. Respondents working in the refugee crisis in Greece demonstrate how empathy, education, and exposure to refugees serve to overcome the harmful stereotypes of outsiders as contributors to crime, terror, and social burden.

Association of glucose metabolism and blood pressure during pregnancy with subsequent maternal blood pressure.

The goal of this study was to examine associations of measures of maternal glucose metabolism and blood pressure during pregnancy with blood pressure at follow-up in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) cohort. The HAPO Follow-Up Study included 4747 women who had a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at ~28 weeks' gestation. Of these, 4572 women who did not have chronic hypertension during their pregnancy or other excluding factors, had blood pressure evaluation 10-14 years after the birth of their HAPO child. Primary outcomes were systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 and/or DBP ≥ 90 or treatment for hypertension) at follow-up. Blood pressure during pregnancy was associated with all blood pressure outcomes at follow-up independent of glucose and insulin sensitivity during pregnancy. The sum of glucose z-scores was associated with blood pressure outcomes at follow-up but associations were attenuated in models that included pregnancy blood pressure measures. Associations with SBP were significant in adjusted models, while associations with DBP and hypertension were not. Insulin sensitivity during pregnancy was associated with all blood pressure outcomes at follow-up, and although attenuated after adjustments, remained statistically significant (hypertension OR 0.79, 95%CI 0.68-0.92; SBP beta -0.91, 95% CI -1.34 to -0.49; DBP beta -0.50, 95% CI -0.81 to -0.19). In conclusion, maternal glucose values at the pregnancy OGTT were not independently associated with maternal blood pressure outcomes 10-14 years postpartum; however, insulin sensitivity during pregnancy was associated independently of blood pressure, BMI, and other covariates measured during pregnancy.

Flower colour and size signals differ depending on geographical location and altitude region.

Bees are major pollinators of angiosperms and have phylogenetically conserved colour vision but differ in how various key species use achromatic information that is vital for both flower detection and size processing. We modelled green contrast and colour contrast signals from flowers of different countries where there are well established differences in availability of model bee species along altitudinal gradients. We tested for consistency in visual signals as expected from generalization in pollination principles using phylogenetically informed linear models. Patterns of chromatic contrast, achromatic green contrast and flower size differed among the three floras we examined. In Nepal there is a significant positive correlation between flower size and colour contrast in the subalpine region, but a negative correlation at the lower altitudes. At high elevations in Norway, where pollinators other than bees are common, flower size was positively correlated with colour contrast. At low and medium altitudes in Norway and in Australia, we did not observe a significant relationship between size and colour contrast. We thus find that the relationship between size, green and colour contrast cannot be generalized across communities, thus suggesting that flower visual signal adaptations to local pollinators are not limited to chromatic contrast.

Cognitive performance in midlife type 2 diabetes: results from the ENBIND study.

AIMS: To establish the impact of uncomplicated type 2 diabetes on cognitive and neuropsychological performance in midlife. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of middle-aged adults with uncomplicated type 2 diabetes and a cohort of healthy control participants. General cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test and neuropsychological assessment was undertaken using a detailed neuropsychological assessment battery. RESULTS: A total of 152 participants (102 with type 2 diabetes and 50 controls) were recruited (mean age 52 ± 8 years, 51% women). Participants with midlife type 2 diabetes were more than twice as likely to make an error on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test [incidence rate ratio 2.44 (95% CI 1.54 to 3.87); P < 0.001]. Further, type 2 diabetes was also associated with significantly lower memory composite score [ß: -0.20 (95% CI -0.39 to -0.01); P = 0.04] and paired associates learning score [ß: = -1.97 (95% CI -3.51, -0.43); P = 0.01] on the neuropsychological assessment battery following adjustment for age, sex, BMI, educational attainment and hypercholesterolaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Even in midlife, type 2 diabetes was associated with small but statistically significant cognitive decrements. These statistically significant decrements, whilst not clinically significant in terms of objective cognitive impairment, may have important implications in selecting out individuals most at risk of later cognitive decline for potential preventative interventions in midlife.

The delayed effect of wildfire season particulate matter on subsequent influenza season in a mountain west region of the USA.

Particularly in rural settings, there has been little research regarding the health impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during the wildfire season smoke exposure period on respiratory diseases, such as influenza, and their associated outbreaks months later. We examined the delayed effects of PM2.5 concentrations for the short-lag (1-4 weeks prior) and the long-lag (during the prior wildfire season months) on the following winter influenza season in Montana, a mountainous state in the western United States. We created gridded maps of surface PM2.5 for the state of Montana from 2009 to 2018 using spatial regression models fit with station observations and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical thickness data. We used a seasonal quasi-Poisson model with generalized estimating equations to estimate weekly, county-specific, influenza counts for Montana, associated with delayed PM2.5 concentration periods (short-lag and long-lag effects), adjusted for temperature and seasonal trend. We did not detect an acute, short-lag PM2.5 effect nor short-lag temperature effect on influenza in Montana. Higher daily average PM2.5 concentrations during the wildfire season was positively associated with increased influenza in the following winter influenza season (expected 16% or 22% increase in influenza rate per 1 µg/m3 increase in average daily summer PM2.5 based on two analyses, p = 0.04 or 0.008). This is one of the first observations of a relationship between PM2.5 during wildfire season and influenza months later.

Rewardlessness in orchids: how frequent and how rewardless?

About one-third of orchid species are thought to offer no floral reward and therefore attract pollinators through deception. Statements of this idea are common in the botanical literature, but the empirical basis of the estimate is rarely mentioned. We traced citation pathways for the one-third estimate in a sample of the literature and found that the paths lead to empirical foundations that are surprisingly narrow. Moreover, recent measurements have detected minute quantities of sugar available to insect visitors in some orchids thought to be rewardless, raising the possibility of a pollination strategy that is largely deceitful but different to absolute rewardlessness. The orchids are a well-studied group and there is no doubt that rewardlessness is common in the family. However, greater empirical effort is needed to verify rewardlessness in orchids and to explore geographic and environmental variation in the proportion of rewardless species.

Non-pharmacological interventions for cognition in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.

Midlife Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important yet often unrecognized risk factor for the later development of dementia. We conducted a systematic review to assess the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions (namely diet, exercise and cognitive training) for T2DM on cognition. A search strategy was constructed and applied to four databases: EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed journal articles in English were considered assessing the effect of exercise, dietary or cognitive training/stimulation-based interventions (or any combination of these) in patients with T2DM on cognition. Results were dual-screened and extracted by two independent reviewers. Of 4820 results, 3782 remained after de-duplication. Forty full-texts were screened and two studies were included in the final review. The first assessed the impact of a 10-year intensive lifestyle intervention on T2DM-related complications (Look-AHEAD study) and the second was a post hoc analysis of T2DM patients from a trial of a physical activity intervention in older non-demented adult with functional limitations (LIFE study). Whilst the Look-AHEAD study found no impact on diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, the LIFE study demonstrated beneficial effects on global cognitive function and delayed memory specifically in older adults with T2DM. There is insufficient evidence to fully assess the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognition in T2DM. Well-constructed trials must be designed to specifically assess the effect of non-pharmacological and multi-domain interventions for cognition in patients with T2DM in midlife. All trials examining interventions in T2DM should consider cognition as at least a secondary outcome.

Expression, purification and metal utilization of recombinant SodA from Borrelia burgdorferi.

Borrelia are microaerophilic spirochetes capable of causing multisystemic diseases such as Lyme disease and Relapsing Fever. The ubiquitous Fe/Mn-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD) provides essential protection from oxidative damage by the superoxide anion. Borrelia possess a single SOD enzyme - SodA that is essential for virulence, providing protection against host-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we present a method for recombinant expression and purification of Borrelia burgdorferi SodA in E. coli. Metal exchange or insertion into the Fe/Mn-SOD is inhibited in the folded state. We therefore present a method whereby the recombinant Borrelia SodA binds to Mn under denaturing conditions and is subsequently refolded by a reduction in denaturant. SodA purified by metal affinity chromatography and size exclusion chromatography reveals a single band on SDS-PAGE. Protein folding is confirmed by circular dichroism. A coupled enzyme assay demonstrates SOD activity in the presence of Mn, but not Fe. The apparent molecular weight determined by size exclusion corresponds to a dimer of SodA; a homology model of dimeric SodA is presented revealing a surface Cys distal to the dimer interface. The method presented of acquiring a target metal under denaturing conditions may be applicable to the refolding of other metal-binding proteins.

Colour evolution within orchids depends on whether the pollinator is a bee or a fly.

Orchids are a classic angiosperm model for understanding biotic pollination. We studied orchid species within two species-rich herbaceous communities that are known to have either hymenopteran or dipteran insects as the dominant pollinators, in order to understand how flower colour relates to pollinator visual systems. We analysed features of the floral reflectance spectra that are significant to pollinator visual systems and used models of dipteran and hymenopteran colour vision to characterise the chromatic signals used by fly-pollinated and bee-pollinated orchid species. In contrast to bee-pollinated flowers, fly-pollinated flowers had distinctive points of rapid reflectance change at long wavelengths and a complete absence of such spectral features at short wavelengths. Fly-pollinated flowers also had significantly more restricted loci than bee-pollinated flowers in colour space models of fly and bee vision alike. Globally, bee-pollinated flowers are known to have distinctive, consistent colour signals. Our findings of different signals for fly pollination is consistent with pollinator-mediated selection on orchid species that results from the distinctive features of fly visual systems.

Dementia Diagnosis and Referral in General Practice: A Representative Survey of Irish General Practitioners

Aims Most of those with a memory problem or concern over cognition present to their General Practitioner (GP) in the first instance. Despite this, the current diagnostic and referral patterns of Irish GPs remains unclear. Methods A survey was distributed to three separate cohorts of GPs (n=692) Results Ninety-Five (14%) responded. Most personally diagnose 1-3 (69%; 65/95) or 4-6 (21%; 20/95) patients with dementia per year. Two-thirds (62%; 59/95) refer >80% of those with possible dementia for further assessment/support, most commonly to support/clarify a diagnosis (71%; 67/95) and most frequently to a geriatrician (79%; 75/95). In half of cases (51%; 48/95), referral is to a professional working as part of an established memory clinic. One-fifth reported receiving dementia-specific postgraduate training (19%; 18/95) and over four-fifths (82%; 78/95) would welcome further training. Discussion Further attention to the ongoing establishment of memory clinic services and dedicated referral pathways, as well as increasing emphasis on dementia assessment and diagnosis in medical curricula, is warranted.

Decreasing fire season precipitation increased recent western US forest wildfire activity.

Western United States wildfire increases have been generally attributed to warming temperatures, either through effects on winter snowpack or summer evaporation. However, near-surface air temperature and evaporative demand are strongly influenced by moisture availability and these interactions and their role in regulating fire activity have never been fully explored. Here we show that previously unnoted declines in summer precipitation from 1979 to 2016 across 31-45% of the forested areas in the western United States are strongly associated with burned area variations. The number of wetting rain days (WRD; days with precipitation ≥2.54 mm) during the fire season partially regulated the temperature and subsequent vapor pressure deficit (VPD) previously implicated as a primary driver of annual wildfire area burned. We use path analysis to decompose the relative influence of declining snowpack, rising temperatures, and declining precipitation on observed fire activity increases. After accounting for interactions, the net effect of WRD anomalies on wildfire area burned was more than 2.5 times greater than the net effect of VPD, and both the WRD and VPD effects were substantially greater than the influence of winter snowpack. These results suggest that precipitation during the fire season exerts the strongest control on burned area either directly through its wetting effects or indirectly through feedbacks to VPD. If these trends persist, decreases in summer precipitation and the associated summertime aridity increases would lead to more burned area across the western United States with far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic impacts.

Screening for frailty in older emergency department patients: the utility of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe Frailty Instrument.

BACKGROUND: Greater numbers of older patients are accessing hospital services. Specialist geriatric input at presentation may improve outcomes for at-risk patients. The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI) frailty measure, developed for use in the community, has also been used in the emergency department (ED). AIM: To measure frailty, review its prevalence in older patients presenting to ED and compare characteristics and outcomes of frail patients with their non-frail counterparts. DESIGN: Patient characteristics were recorded using symphony® electronic data systems. SHARE-FI assessed frailty. Cognition, delirium and 6 and 12 months outcomes were reviewed. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was completed of those aged ≥70 presenting to ED over 24 h, 7 days a week. RESULTS: Almost half of 198 participants (46.7%, 93/198) were classified as frail, but this was not associated with a significant difference in mortality rates (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.58-1.38, P = 0.614) or being alive at home at 12 months (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.72-1.57, P = 0.745). Older patients were more likely to die (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.30-4.21, P = 0.004) and less likely to be alive at home at 12 months (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.23-0.83, P = 0.009). Patients with dementia (OR 0.24, P = 0.005) and on ≥5 medications (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.87, P = 0.022) had a lower likelihood of being alive at home at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the sample cohort was frail. Older age was a better predictor of adverse outcomes than frailty as categorized by the SHARE-FI. SHARE-FI has limited predictability when used as a frailty screening instrument in the ED.

Dementia in the acute hospital: the prevalence and clinical outcomes of acutely unwell patients with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated that a significant minority of older persons presenting to acute hospital services are cognitively impaired; however, the impact of dementia on long-term outcomes is less clear. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of dementia, both formally diagnosed and hitherto unrecognised in a cohort of acutely unwell older adults, as well as its impact on both immediate outcomes (length of stay and in-hospital mortality) and 12-month outcomes including readmission, institutionalisation and death. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: 190 patients aged 70 years and over, presenting to acute hospital services underwent a detailed health assessment including cognitive assessment (standardised Mini Mental State Examination, AD8 and Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit). Patients or informants were contacted directly 12 months later to compile 1-year outcome data. Dementia was defined as a score of 2 or more on the AD8 screening test. RESULTS: Dementia was present in over one-third of patients (73/190). Of these patients, 36% (26/73) had a prior documented diagnosis of dementia with the remaining undiagnosed before presentation. The composite outcome of death or readmission to hospital within the following 12 months was more likely to occur in patients with dementia (73% (53/73) vs. 58% (68/117), P = 0.043). This finding persisted after controlling for age, gender, frailty status and medical comorbidities, including stroke and heart disease. CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of dementia confers an increased risk of either death or further admission within the following 12 months, highlighting the need for better cognitive screening in the acute setting, as well as targeted intervention such as comprehensive geriatric assessment.

The Prevalence of MRSA Nasal Carriage in Preoperative Pediatric Orthopaedic Patients.

Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been described as a risk factor for postsurgical infection. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of MRSA in pediatric orthopaedic patients and whether being a MRSA carrier is a predictor of postoperative infection. Six hundred and ninety-nine consecutive pediatric patients who underwent MRSA nasal screening prior to surgery were studied. Postoperative cultures, total surgical site infections (SSIs), and epidemiological and surgical prophylaxis data were reviewed. Forty-four of 699 patients (6.29%) screened positive for MRSA. Nine of the 44 patients (20.5%) that screened positive for MRSA had a subsequent SSI compared to 10 of the 655 patients (1.52%) that screened negative (p < 0.05). All 9 patients with a SSI had myelomeningocele. The prevalence of MRSA was 6.30% and was predictive of postoperative infection. Children with myelomeningocele were at the highest risk for having a positive MRSA screening and developing SSI.

Floral colours in a world without birds and bees: the plants of Macquarie Island.

We studied biotically pollinated angiosperms on Macquarie Island, a remote site in the Southern Ocean with a predominately or exclusively dipteran pollinator fauna, in an effort to understand how flower colour affects community assembly. We compared a distinctive group of cream-green Macquarie Island flowers to the flora of likely source pools of immigrants and to a continental flora from a high latitude in the northern hemisphere. We used both dipteran and hymenopteran colour models and phylogenetically informed analyses to explore the chromatic component of community assembly. The species with cream-green flowers are very restricted in colour space models of both fly vision and bee vision and represent a distinct group that plays a very minor role in other communities. It is unlikely that such a community could form through random immigration from continental source pools. Our findings suggest that fly pollination has imposed a strong ecological filter on Macquarie Island, favouring floral colours that are rare in continental floras. This is one of the strongest demonstrations that plant-pollinator interactions play an important role in plant community assembly. Future work exploring colour choices by dipteran flower visitors would be valuable.

Body-related attentional biases in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder resulting from childhood sexual abuse with and without co-occurring borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Disturbed body perception is a common characteristic of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childhood sexual abuse (CSA). We examined the extent to which biased information processing of body related stimuli was related to CSA. METHODS: Patients with PTSD after CSA (PTSD group; n = 61) were compared to healthy controls (HC group; n = 30). The PTSD group was subdivided into patients with comorbid Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD; PTSD+ group) and patients without BPD (PTSD-group). We used an emotional Stroop task (EST) with body-related words to assess biased information processing. RESULTS: Only patients in the PTSD+ group but not in the PTSD-group showed a significantly stronger attentional bias to body related words compared to the HC group (p = .009). LIMITATIONS: Recruitment in in-patient setting might have led to a non-representative sample of PTSD patients. The PTSD patients were not characterized regarding anything other than the mentioned mental disorders. Potentially, the body related words may have been associated with offenders' body areas, but not with the patients. CONCLUSION: We found that patients with PTSD and comorbid BPD had a stronger attentional bias towards body related stimuli in comparison to other groups. This suggests that the observed attentional bias is a product of CSA combined with the emotion regulation difficulties characteristic of BPD. Future studies should test whether directly targeting body-related abnormalities in information processing can improve existing treatments for patients with CSA and BPD.

Acceptability of neonatal male circumcision for HIV prevention among adults in the Bahamas

OBJECTIVES: To assess parents’ knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) reduction through male circumcision, determine their desire to have their newborn son circumcised, and quantify impacts of circumcision procedural awareness. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of parents attending public healthcare facilities in Nassau, Bahamas, including a subsection completed after reading a circumcision information pamphlet. RESULTS: 314 mothers and 39 fathers were included. 87.8% were Bahamian and 7.4% Haitian. 97.1% followed Christianity. 7.4% had at least one other circumcised son and 25.7% of parents reported a circumcised father. 15.7% were aware that male circumcision reduces a man’s chance of getting HIV and 29.8% knew the procedure reduces STI. 88.5% and 88.4% of Haitians were unaware of male circumcision reducing HIV and STI acquisition, while awareness was greater amongst all those with higher levels of formal education. 55.6% of parents initially opted for neonatal male circumcision - especially circumcised fathers, Bahamian and Jamaican nationals, those who completed at least high school, and those believing male circumcision reduces HIV and STI rates. Improved health, appearance, and hygiene motivated participants more than cultural and religious affiliation. Both parents felt that the decision on neonatal male circumcision should be made in unison. Acceptance rose to 68.0% after reading the information pamphlet on male circumcision. CONCLUSION: Newborn male circumcision is decided on by both parents in most cases with little influence of culture and religion. Information on neonatal male circumcision risks and benefits, including reduction of HIV and STI, lead to an increase in its acceptance.