Clearing Up Some Conceptual Confusions About Conspiracy Theory Theorising

A reply to Gérald Bronner, Véronique Campion-Vincent, Sylvain Delouvée, Sebastian Dieguez, Nicolas Gauvrit, Anthony Lantian, and Pascal Wagner-Egger's piece, '“They” Respond: Comments on Basham et al.’s “Social Science’s Conspiracy-Theory Panic: Now They Want to Cure Everyone”

Time Spent Working in Custody Influences Work Sample Test Battery Performance of Deputy Sheriffs Compared to Recruits

This study determined the influence of years spent working in custody on fitness measured by a state-specific testing battery (Work Sample Test Battery; WSTB) in deputy sheriffs. Retrospective analysis was conducted on one patrol school class (51 males, 13 females) divided into three groups depending on time spent working in custody: DS24 (<24 months; n = 20); DS2547 (25–47 months; n = 23); and DS48+ (≥48 months; n = 21). These groups were compared to a recruit class (REC; 219 males, 34 females) in the WSTB, which comprised five tasks completed for time: 99-yard (90.53-m) obstacle course (99OC); 165-pound (75-kg) dummy drag; six-foot (1.83-m) chain link fence (CLF) and solid wall (SW) climb; and 500-yard (457.2-m) run (500R). A univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (controlling for sex and age) with Bonferroni post hoc determined significant between-group differences. DS48+ were slower in the 99OC compared to the REC (p = 0.007) and performed the CLF and SW slower than all groups (p ≤ 0.012). DS24, DS2547, and DS48+ were all slower than REC in the 500R (p ≤ 0.002). Physical training should be implemented to maintain fitness and job-specific task performance in deputy sheriffs working custody, especially considering the sedentary nature of this work

The nature and structure of the white-reflecting underside ‘scales’ on the hind wing of Pseudolestes mirabilis (Odonata: Pseudolestidae)

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.The Hainanese endemic damselfly, Pseudolestes mirabilis, is unique among the Odonata in having brilliant silvery-white reflective areas on the underside of the hind wings in mature males. The light reflected is easily seen to be several times brighter than that from normal white pruinescence. The hind wing upsides have a striking coppery appearance due to the filtering of light reflected from the inside of the reflective area through bright amber tinted wing membranes, colour which results from small amounts of melanin in those parts of the membrane. Visual signals are thus produced from both sides of the wing and may be used to advertise territory occupancy while perched, as well as having an obvious semiotic function in aerial agonistic displays between pairs of males. The structure consists of a deep layer of long, parallel, flat wax fibres, secreted from the faces of cross-veins in individual wing cells over the affected areas. This is a spectacular and novel mode of cuticular wax secretion. The structure adds about 23–27% to the mass of the hind wing, which may explain its unusual shape and shortness. However this character is also present in females, which lack the wax fibres, hence it may be an unusual example of an epigametic male trait being partially expressed in females.P. Vukusic and M.R. Nixon acknowledge the financial support of AFOSR grant FA9550-10-1-0020