A revision of the new genus Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n., described for Papilioarnaca Fabricius, 1776 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae).

We here propose a new, monotypic genus, Amiga Nakahara, Willmott & Espeland, gen. n., to harbor a common Neotropical butterfly, described as Papilioarnaca Fabricius, 1776, and hitherto placed in the genus Chloreuptychia Forster, 1964. Recent and ongoing molecular phylogenetic research has shown Chloreuptychia to be polyphyletic, with C.arnaca proving to be unrelated to remaining species and not readily placed in any other described genus. Amigaarnaca gen. n. et comb. n. as treated here is a widely distributed and very common species ranging from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. A neotype is designated for the names Papilioarnaca and its junior synonym, Papilioebusa Cramer, 1780, resulting in the treatment of the latter name as a junior objective synonym of the former. A lectotype is designated for Euptychiasericeella Bates, 1865, which is treated as a subspecies, Amigaarnacasericeella (Bates, 1865), comb. n. et stat. n., based on molecular and morphological evidence. We also describe two new taxa, Amigaarnacaadela Nakahara & Espeland, ssp. n. and Amigaarnacaindianacristoi Nakahara & Marín, ssp. n., new subspecies from the western Andes and eastern Central America, and northern Venezuela, respectively.

Timing and location of reproduction in African waterfowl: an overview of >100 years of nest records.

The timing and location of reproduction are fundamental elements of reproductive success for all organisms. Understanding why animals choose to reproduce at particular times and in particular places is also important for our understanding of other aspects of organismal ecology, such as their habitat requirements, movement strategies, and biogeography. Although breeding patterns in waterfowl are relatively well documented, most studies are from northern temperate regions and the influences of location and time of year on breeding in Afrotropical ducks (Anatidae) are poorly understood. We outline six alternative (but not mutually exclusive) hypotheses that might explain where and when Afrotropical ducks choose to breed. To explore these hypotheses, we assembled and analyzed a new database of c. 22,000 breeding records for 16 Afrotropical ducks and one introduced Palearctic species (the Mallard Anas platyrhynchos). The full database is available on line as an appendix to this article. We identified five distinct breeding strategies as well as two outliers. Peak breeding for 9 of 16 indigenous duck species occurs during the dry season. We found no evidence for spatial synchrony or spatial autocorrelation in breeding, suggesting a high level of flexibility in waterfowl responses to prevailing conditions in any given year. More intensive analyses of alternative hypotheses are needed, but our initial analysis suggests that the timing of breeding for the majority of Afrotropical ducks is driven by a combination of resource availability and predation risk.

Validity, reliability, and sensitivity-to-change properties of the psoriatic arthritis screening and evaluation questionnaire.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with irreversible joint damage in a subset of individuals. There is a need to screen early for this condition to prevent damage. To meet this need, we have developed the psoriatic arthritis screening and evaluation (PASE) questionnaire. The 15-item PASE questionnaire was administered to 190 individuals with either psoriasis or PsA. The PASE questionnaire was readministered to a subset of individuals with PsA in order to assess test-retest reliability and sensitivity-to-change. Receiver operator curves were constructed to optimize sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of PsA. Of the 190 participating in the study, 19.5% (37/191) participants were diagnosed with PsA. PASE total scores ranged from 15 to 74 (possible range, 15-75). The PsA group had a median Total score of 51 (25th and 75th percentile 44 and 57), and non-PsA group had a median total score of 34 (25th and 75th percentile 21 and 49) (p < 0.001). A PASE total score of 44 was able to distinguish PsA from non-PsA participants with 76% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Furthermore, 13 of the 15 items demonstrated significant test-retest reliability as assessed by Pearson correlation coefficient (r >or= 0.5). PASE was sensitive-to-change with therapy; PASE scores were significantly lower for PsA individuals after systemic therapy (p < 0.034). The PASE questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to screen for active PsA among individuals with psoriasis. PASE scores may be used as a marker of therapeutic response.

Long-term effects of 2 energy-restricted diets differing in glycemic load on dietary adherence, body composition, and metabolism in CALERIE: a 1-y randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There remains no consensus about the optimal dietary composition for sustained weight loss. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the effects of 2 dietary macronutrient patterns with different glycemic loads on adherence to a prescribed regimen of calorie restriction (CR), weight and fat loss, and related variables. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) of diets with a high glycemic load (HG) or a low glycemic load (LG) at 30% CR was conducted in 34 healthy overweight adults with a mean (+/-SD) age of 35 +/- 6 y and body mass index (kg/m(2)) of 27.6 +/- 1.4. All food was provided for 6 mo in diets controlled for confounding variables, and subjects self-administered the plans for 6 additional months. Primary and secondary outcomes included energy intake measured by doubly labeled water, body weight and fatness, hunger, satiety, and resting metabolic rate. RESULTS: All groups consumed significantly less energy during CR than at baseline (P < 0.01), but changes in energy intake, body weight, body fat, and resting metabolic rate did not differ significantly between groups. Both groups ate more energy than provided (eg, 21% and 28% CR at 3 mo and 16% and 17% CR at 6 mo with HG and LG, respectively). Percentage weight change at 12 mo was -8.04 +/- 4.1% in the HG group and -7.81 +/- 5.0% in the LG group. There was no effect of dietary composition on changes in hunger, satiety, or satisfaction with the amount and type of provided food during CR. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide more detailed evidence to suggest that diets differing substantially in glycemic load induce comparable long-term weight loss.

The ecology of dippers Cinclus cinclus (L.) in relation to stream acidity in upland Wales: time-activity budgets and energy expenditure.

The time-activity budget and energy expenditure of a riverine bird, the dipper Cinclus cinclus, was studied from March 1988 to July 1989, across a range of streams of contrasting acidity in upland Wales. Differences in time-activity budgets of birds on acidic and circumneutral streams were consistent with documented differences in prey availability and diet. Birds spent a significantly greater proportion of their active day foraging, swimming and flying, and less time resting, on acidic streams. Activity measurements varied significantly through the year, through the day, and with river flow. Despite differences in time budgets, mean Daily Energy Expenditure (DEE) on acidic streams was only 4.5-7.0% greater than on circumneutral streams. However, rates of energy gain were greater for dippers on circumneutral streams for every month of the year, a pattern confirmed by differences in body condition. By spending more time feeding, dippers on acidic streams will have less time for other activities such as self-maintenance and predator surveillance; they may also be less able to meet the additional demands accompanying the initiation of breeding. These findings are discussed in relation to the feeding ecology and breeding performance of dippers on streams of contrasting water quality in upland Wales.