Non-invasive progressive optimization for in-memory databases

Progressive optimization introduces robustness for database workloads against wrong estimates, skewed data, correlated attributes, or outdated statistics. Previous work focuses on cardinality estimates and rely on expensive counting methods as well as complex learning algorithms. In this paper, we utilize performance counters to drive progressive optimization during query execution. The main advantages are that performance counters introduce virtually no costs on modern CPUs and their usage enables a non-invasive monitoring. We present fine-grained cost models to detect differences between estimates and actual costs which enables us to kick-start reoptimization. Based on our cost models, we implement an optimization approach that estimates the individual selectivities of a multi-selection query efficiently. Furthermore, we are able to learn properties like sortedness, skew, or correlation during run-time. In our evaluation we show, that the overhead of our approach is negligible, while performance improvements are convincing. Using progressive optimization, we improve runtime up to a factor of three compared to average run-times and up to a factor of 4,5 compared to worst case run-times. As a result, we avoid costly operator execution orders and; thus, making query execution highly robust

A scientific note on the natural merger of two honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera capensis)

Natural mergers of honeybee colonies are commonplace in tropical Africa (Hepburn and Radloff, 1998), but their consequences on organizational structure are unknown. Here we determine the spatial distribution and division of labor of workers (Apis mellifera capensis Esch.) following a merger of two colonies. Two unrelated colonies (each ~3000 bees) were placed in threeframe observation hives. When workers emerged from the sealed brood of each colony, they were individually labeled and reintroduced into their respective mother hives. They are referred to as cohorts Aand B, each comprising 300 workers of the same age. The behaviors and positions of all labeled workers and queens were recorded twice daily for 24 days (Kolmes, 1989; Pirk et al., 2000). On day 14 colony B was dequeened, left its nest and merged with colony A on day 15

BEACON:A Summary Framework to Overcome Potential Reimbursement Hurdles

Objective To provide a framework for addressing payers' criteria during the development of pharmaceuticals.Methods A conceptual framework was presented to an international health economic expert panel for discussion. A structured literature search (from 2010 to May 2015), using the following databases in Ovid: Medline((R)) and Medline((R)) In-Process (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), EconLit (EBSCOhost) and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), and a 'grey literature' search, were conducted to identify existing criteria from the payer perspective. The criteria assessed by existing frameworks and guidelines were collated; the most commonly reported criteria were considered for inclusion in the framework. A mnemonic was conceived as a memory aide to summarise these criteria.Results Overall, 41 publications were identified as potentially relevant to the objective. Following further screening, 26 were excluded upon full-text review on the basis of no framework presented (n = 13), redundancy (n = 11) or abstract only (n = 2). Frameworks that captured criteria developed for or utilised by the pharmaceutical industry (n = 5) and reimbursement guidance (n = 10) were reviewed. The most commonly identified criteria-unmet need/patient burden, safety, efficacy, quality-of-life outcomes, environment, evidence quality, budget impact and comparator-were incorporated into the summary framework. For ease of communication, the following mnemonic was developed: BEACON (Burden/target population, Environment, Affordability/value, Comparator, Outcomes, Number of studies/quality of evidence).Conclusions The BEACON framework aims to capture the 'essence' of payer requirements by addressing the most commonly described criteria requested by payers regarding the introduction of a new pharmaceutical.</p

Hadamard States and Adiabatic Vacua

Reversing a slight detrimental effect of the mailer related to TeXabilityComment: 10pages, LaTeX (RevTeX-preprint style

Economic and ecological implications of geographic bias in pollinator ecology in the light of pollinator declines

Understanding the causes and consequences of pollinator declines is a priority in ecological research. However, across much of the globe we have a poor understanding of pollinator assemblages, population trends and the ecological and economic importance of particular pollinators, due to a marked geographic bias in research eff ort. Here, we show that almost half the data cited in thirteen recent meta-analyses, which ask important and diverse questions in pollination ecology, were collected in just fi ve countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Spain and the USA. In contrast, the entire continent of Africa contributed only 4% of the data. We believe that the consequences of this geographic bias are severe. Foremost, pollinator assemblages (and possibly their sensitivity to ecological drivers) can greatly vary among these regions. In addition, many communities that rely on pollinators, bees in particular, for food security and wealth generation are in geographic regions where our understanding of pollination is poor. Collecting accurate information on pollinator populations in data defi cient areas will allow us to identify vulnerable populations and species and so better target conservation measures. Moreover, it will help us to determine if our current understanding of pollinator losses, based on data collected in a few locations and on the species that predominate in those regions, is representative of the wide diversity of ecosystems. We propose means of collecting such data given socioeconomic constraints.The BBSRC, NERC, the Wellcome Trust, Defra, and the Scottish Government under the Insect Pollinators Initiative (BB/I000968/1). National Research Foundation of South Africa and the University of Pretoria. LGC is funded by the EU FP7 projects.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1600-0706hb201

Nutritive and immunological benefits derived from the honey bee gut microbiome are threatened by anthropogenic stressors

Insect gut microbes have a disproportionate effect on their hosts, including the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. The honey bee gut, and that of other species that have been investigated, harbours a specific gut community that is conserved across populations globally. However, this gut community changes between different castes, sexes and life stages, which is largely due to diet and gut physiology. Evidence suggests that a healthy gut community is essential for honey bees to maintain functional immunity and nutrition. Without the four important gut symbionts (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola), honey bees lack the ability to gain sufficient nutrients, protect themselves against pathogens and prevent intoxication. Unfortunately, honey bee gut symbionts are under threat due to in-hive pesticides, antibiotics and climate change. Therefore, we discourage the overuse of antibiotics and in-hive pesticides, as they could have unforeseen consequences for the honey bee gut microbiota. Instead, we recommend that beekeepers and scientists explore alternative options, such as bolstering honey bee resilience through probiotics.https://journals.co.za/content/journal/entohttps://www.africanentomology.comZoology and Entomolog

Biological traits of wild-caught populations of Aedes aegypti in dengue endemic and non-endemic regions of Kenya

Variation in vector traits can modulate local scale differences in pathogen transmission. Here, we compared seasonal variation in the wing length (proxy for body size) and energy reserves of adult wild-caught Aedes aegypti populations from a dengue endemic (Kilifi) and non-endemic (Isiolo) area of Kenya. Vector sampling in the dengue endemic site was conducted during the dry and wet seasons. In the non-endemic area, it was limited to the dry season which characterizes this ecology where sporadic or no rainfall is commonplace during the year. We found variation by site in the body size of both sexes, with an overall smaller size of Ae. aegypti populations collected from Isiolo than those from Kilifi. Our results show that although total carbohydrates and lipids levels were highest in both sexes during the dry season, they were two-fold higher in males than females. However, we found weak correlations between body size and energy reserves for both sexes, with body size being more sensitive in identifying differences at a population level. These results provide insights into the determinants of the vectoring potential of Ae. aegypti populations in dengue endemic and non-endemic ecologies in Kenya.UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Government of the Republic of Kenya.https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-vector-ecologyhj2022Zoology and Entomolog

Antioxidant supplementation can reduce the survival costs of excess amino acid intake in honeybees

Over-consuming amino acids is associated with reduced survival in many species, including honeybees. The mechanisms responsible for this are unclear but one possibility is that excessive intake of amino acids increases oxidative damage. If this is the case, antioxidant supplementation may help reduce the survival costs of high amino acid intake. We tested this hypothesis in African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata) using the major antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). We first determined the dose-range of EGCG that improved survival of caged honeybees fed sucrose solution. We then provided bees with eight diets that differed in their ratio of essential amino acids (EAA) to carbohydrate (C) (0:1, 1:250, 1:100, 1:75, 1:50, 1:25, 1:10, 1:5 EAA:C) and also in their EGCG dose (0.0 or 0.4 mM). We found that bees fed sucrose only solution survived better than bees fed EAA diets. Despite this, bees preferred a diet that contained intermediate ratios of EAA:C (ca. 1:25), which may represent the high demands for nitrogen of developing nurse bees. EGCG supplementation improved honeybee survival but only at an intermediate dose (0.3–0.5 mM) and in bees fed low EAA diets (1:250, 1:100 EAA:C). That EGCG counteracted the lifespan reducing effects of eating low EAA diets suggests that oxidative damage may be involved in the association between EAAs and lifespan in honeybees. However, that EGCG had no effect on survival in bees fed high EAA diets suggests that there are other physiological costs of over-consuming EAAs in honeybees.A grant from the BBSRC, NERC, the Wellcome Trust, Defra, and the Scottish Government under the Insect Pollinators Initiative (BB/I000968/1).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jinsphyshj201

Aggression, boldness, and exploration personality traits in the subterranean naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) disperser morphs

Animal personality traits (consistent behavioral differences between individuals in their behavior across time and/or situation) affect individual fitness through facets, such as dispersal. In eusocial naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) colonies, a disperser morph may arise with distinct morphological, behavioral, and physiological characteristics. This study aimed to quantify the personality traits of a cohort of disperser morphs of naked mole-rat (NMR). Behavioral tests were performed on twelve disperser morphs (six males and six females) in an observation tunnel system that was novel and unfamiliar. Novel stimuli (fresh snakeskin, tissue paper, and conspecific of the same sex) were introduced for fifteen minutes, and the behavioral acts of the individual were recorded. A total of 30 behaviors were noted during the behavioral tests of which eight were used to quantify aggression, boldness, and exploration. The NMR disperser morphs showed consistent individual differences in boldness, and exploration across time and test, indicating a distinct personality. In addition, new naked mole-rat responses including disturbance behaviors; confront, barricade, and stay-away, were recorded. Further investigations into the relationships between animal personality traits and social hierarchy position in entire colonies are needed for more informative results as we further investigate the role of personality in cooperatively breeding societies.The SARChI Chair of Mammalian Behavioral Ecology and Physiology from the DST–NRF South Africa, the National Research Foundation, and the University of Pretoria. J.U.M Jarvis, G. Lewin and A. Barker for equipment donation.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animalsam2023Zoology and Entomolog