Treerunners, cryptic lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America

The arboreal, Neotropical lizard Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) has been long considered a widespread species with a distribution east of the Andes. A preliminary examination of 101 specimens from about 28 locations mostly north of the Amazon suggests that Plica plica is a cryptic species complex with taxa that can be distinguished on the basis of the number of scale rows at mid-body; the arrangement, shape and ornamentation of scales on the snout; the number of lamellae on the fourth toe; the number of subocular plates; as well as other commonly used external morphological traits. The allopatric species discussed here are concordant with northern South American geography. Plica plica (Linnaeus,1758) is associated with the Guiana Shield (Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela). A second species, P. caribeana sp. n. is associated with the Caribbean Coastal Range of Venezuela including Trinidad and Tobago. A third, distinctive species, P. rayi sp. n. is associated with the middle Orinoco at the eastern edge of the Guiana Shield. Two other species, P. kathleenae sp. n. and P. medemi sp. n., each based upon a single specimen, one from the Sierra Acarai Mountains of Guyana, and the other from southern Meta, Colombia are described. In addition to morphological analyses, we sequenced 12S and 16S rDNA gene fragments from one Plica plica from Trinidad to assess its relationship and taxonomy to other mainland Plica cf plica. The results suggest Plica caribeana sp. n. likely diverged prior to the separation of Trinidad from northern Venezuela. Isolation in the Caribbean Coastal Range during its rapid uplift in the late Miocene, combined with a marine incursion into northern Venezuela may have contributed to their genetic divergence from other populations. © John C. Murphy, Michael Jowers.Peer Reviewe

Treerunners, cryptic lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America

The arboreal, Neotropical lizard Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) has been long considered a widespread species with a distribution east of the Andes. A preliminary examination of 101 specimens from about 28 locations mostly north of the Amazon suggests that Plica plica is a cryptic species complex with taxa that can be distinguished on the basis of the number of scale rows at mid-body; the arrangement, shape and ornamentation of scales on the snout; the number of lamellae on the fourth toe; the number of subocular plates; as well as other commonly used external morphological traits. The allopatric species discussed here are concordant with northern South American geography. Plica plica (Linnaeus,1758) is associated with the Guiana Shield (Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela). A second species, P. caribeana sp. n. is associated with the Caribbean Coastal Range of Venezuela including Trinidad and Tobago. A third, distinctive species, P. rayi sp. n. is associated with the middle Orinoco at the eastern edge of the Guiana Shield. Two other species, P. kathleenae sp. n. and P. medemi sp. n., each based upon a single specimen, one from the Sierra Acarai Mountains of Guyana, and the other from southern Meta, Colombia are described. In addition to morphological analyses, we sequenced 12S and 16S rDNA gene fragments from one Plica plica from Trinidad to assess its relationship and taxonomy to other mainland Plica cf plica. The results suggest Plica caribeana sp. n. likely diverged prior to the separation of Trinidad from northern Venezuela. Isolation in the Caribbean Coastal Range during its rapid uplift in the late Miocene, combined with a marine incursion into northern Venezuela may have contributed to their genetic divergence from other populations. © John C. Murphy, Michael Jowers.Peer Reviewe

Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae Scarthyla vigilans (Solano 1971): Range Extension and New Country Record for Trinidad, W.I. With Notes on Tadpoles, Habitat, Behaviour and Biogeographical Significance.

We report a range extension and new country record for Scarthyla vigilans in Trinidad, West Indies. The species was previously known only from populations on mainland South America. We include notes on behavior, habitat and tadpole development, and discuss the biogeographical significance of the species’ presence in Trinidad, particularly with respect to consequences for understanding colonization events on this Caribbean island

Early recognition and detection of juvenile psoriatic arthritis: a call for a standardized approach to screening

Background: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend annual screening for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in all patients with psoriasis. Currently, no validated assessment tools have been recommended for screening for juvenile PsA (JPsA). Aim: To determine dermatologists' practice when assessing children's joints and explore the challenges dermatologists experience when looking for joint disease, in order to inform future strategies to improve early detection of arthritis. Methods: Structured telephone interviews were undertaken with dermatologists identified through the British Society of Paediatric Dermatology. Percentages for binary and categorized responses were calculated. Thematic content analysis was used to generate a set of core themes across the interview data. Results: Of the 41 consultant dermatologists contacted, 23 agreed to be interviewed. Of these, 78% (18/23) reported they routinely ask about joint disease. Only 13% (3/23) routinely examine the joints of children with psoriasis. Overall, assessment for JPsA lacked a structured, evidence-based approach. The average confidence rating for assessing joint disease was low (score of 3). The two key barriers described for detecting arthritis were a lack of experience and training, and subtle or difficult to detect signs. The two main suggestions for improving detection were the introduction of an assessment tool/guideline and increased clinical experience and training. Conclusion: There is a clear need for dermatologists to use a standardized approach for screening and to increase their confidence in paediatric musculoskeletal examination. In this article, we provide guidance on screening for psoriatic arthritis in children based on our clinical experience

The epidemiology of childhood psoriasis: a scoping review

Psoriasis is an inflammatory noncommunicable skin disease that affects both adults and children. At present, the epidemiology and natural history of psoriasis are not widely understood. This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on the epidemiology of childhood psoriasis, identify research gaps for future studies and provide a comprehensive, clinically useful review. Search strategies were developed for Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Google Scholar and hand searching. In total, 131 articles met the inclusion criteria and were mapped; 107 articles were included for data extraction. Over the last 25 years there has been a dramatic increase in the volume of published observational epidemiological studies on childhood psoriasis. The majority were case series or cross-sectional studies, concentrated in Europe, Asia and North America. The prevalence of childhood psoriasis was found to be higher in European countries, older children and girls. Up to 48·8% of children had a family history of psoriasis in a first-degree relative. The most frequent subtype was plaque psoriasis and the most common initial sites of presentation were the scalp, limbs and trunk. Specific genetic differences have been found between child-onset and adult-onset populations. Case–control and cohort studies investigating risk factors for psoriasis onset, comorbidities and long-term health outcomes were extremely limited. The choice of study design and heterogeneity in methodology limit the validity and generalizability of the information, consistency of the results, and comparability of the studies. Well-designed epidemiological studies are needed to provide precise and consistent information about the frequency and clinical presentation, risk factors, associated diseases and long-term outcomes in childhood psoriasis

Carbon clusters near the crossover to fullerene stability

The thermodynamic stability of structural isomers of $\mathrm{C}_{24}$, $\mathrm{C}_{26}$, $\mathrm{C}_{28}$ and $\mathrm{C}_{32}$, including fullerenes, is studied using density functional and quantum Monte Carlo methods. The energetic ordering of the different isomers depends sensitively on the treatment of electron correlation. Fixed-node diffusion quantum Monte Carlo calculations predict that a $\mathrm{C}_{24}$ isomer is the smallest stable graphitic fragment and that the smallest stable fullerenes are the $\mathrm{C}_{26}$ and $\mathrm{C}_{28}$ clusters with $\mathrm{C}_{2v}$ and $\mathrm{T}_{d}$ symmetry, respectively. These results support proposals that a $\mathrm{C}_{28}$ solid could be synthesized by cluster deposition.Comment: 4 pages, includes 4 figures. For additional graphics, online paper and related information see http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~prck

Bulk viscosity driving the acceleration of the Universe

The possibility that the present acceleration of the universe is driven by a kind of viscous fluid is exploited. At background level this model is similar to the generalized Chaplygin gas model (GCGM). But, at perturbative level, the viscous fluid exhibits interesting properties. In particular the oscillations in the power spectrum that plagues the GCGM are not present. Possible fundamental descriptions for this viscous dark energy are discussed.Comment: Latex file, 8 pages, 3 eps figure

Development and psychometric testing of the clinical leadership needs analysis (CLeeNA) instrument for nurses and midwives

Aim: The aim of this study is to report the development and psychometric testing of the clinical leadership needs analysis instrument (CLeeNA). Background: Limited emphasis is placed on the clinical leadership needs of nurses and midwives that are fundamental to supporting the delivery of high quality, safe patient care. Methods: A development and validation study of CLeeNA was undertaken using cross-sectional data. A sample of 324 registered nurses and midwives completed the questionnaire using a 7-point adjectival scale. Principal component analysis was conducted to explore scale grouping of items (n = 103 items). Results: Principal component analysis, item reduction and parallel analysis on the items of the instrument resulted in seven factors consisting of 56 items. These factors were identified as: Staff and Care Delivery; Technology and Care Initiatives; Self and Team Development; Standards of Care; Financial and Service Management; Leadership and Clinical Practice; Patient Safety and Risk Management. Conclusion: The identified factors are reflective of an ever-changing health care environment. Implications for Nursing Management: Potentially, after further testing, this instrument could be used by nursing management and educators to measure clinical leadership needs, inform the design of clinical leadership training programmes and provide valuable information about health care leadership development

Crucial Physical Dependencies of the Core-Collapse Supernova Mechanism

We explore with self-consistent 2D F{\sc{ornax}} simulations the dependence of the outcome of collapse on many-body corrections to neutrino-nucleon cross sections, the nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung rate, electron capture on heavy nuclei, pre-collapse seed perturbations, and inelastic neutrino-electron and neutrino-nucleon scattering. Importantly, proximity to criticality amplifies the role of even small changes in the neutrino-matter couplings, and such changes can together add to produce outsized effects. When close to the critical condition the cumulative result of a few small effects (including seeds) that individually have only modest consequence can convert an anemic into a robust explosion, or even a dud into a blast. Such sensitivity is not seen in one dimension and may explain the apparent heterogeneity in the outcomes of detailed simulations performed internationally. A natural conclusion is that the different groups collectively are closer to a realistic understanding of the mechanism of core-collapse supernovae than might have seemed apparent.Comment: 25 pages; 10 figure