Nomenclatural and taxonomic changes, new distribution and biological records for jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Replacement names, nomenclatural, distributional and biological notes are presented for 21 species of Buprestidae (Coleoptera). Agrilodes strandi ssp. meranus Obenberger, 1942, and Polybothris (Amphisbeta) uitalisi var. stygia, Obenberger, 1942, are proposed to allow the subspecies or variety names define the species, respectively, with strandi and uitalisi remaining in synonymy as nomina nuda. Acmaeodera ruficaudis macfadyeni is proposed as a new replacement name for Acmaeodera ruficaudis pinguis Holm, 1985, preoccupied by A. pinguis Fairmaire, 1902; Buprestis aenescens Wiedemann, 1823 is synonymized under Buprestis albomarginata Herbst, 1801; Buprestis planus Fabricius, 1798 is transferred to Dismorpha Gistel, 1848; Damarsila conturbata Thomson, 1879 is removed from synonymy under Buprestis amaurotica Klug, 1855 and reinstated as a valid species; Damarsila obsti Cobos, 1957 is rejected as an unnecessary replacement name for Psilopotera ornata Obst, 1903; Dicerca reticulatoides is proposed as a new replacement name for D. reticulata Assmann, 1870, a fossil taxon, preoccupied by Buprestis reticulata Fabricius, 1794, a junior subjective synonym of Dicerca aenea (Linne, 1758); Kamosia luciae Obenberger, 1935, is synonymized under Kamosiella dennestoides (Thomson, 1878); Melobasis nouaeguinae is proposed as a new replacement name for Melobasis papuana Obenberger, 1938, preoccupied by M. (Briseis) papuana Obenberger, 1924; Sjoestedtius diuinus Obenberger, 1935, is transferred to Malawiella Bellamy, 1990, and Sjoestedtius atahorensis Descarpentries, 1952 is proposed as its new subjective synonym. Buprestis albomarginata Herbst, Damarsila contubata Thomson, and Psiloptera ornata Obst are transferred to Lampetis Dejean, 1833. Biological or distributional notes are given for species of Agrilaxia Kerremans, 1903, Agrilus Curtis, 1825, Conognatha Eschscholtz, 1829, Euplectalecia Obenberger, 1924, Halecia Laporte and Gory, 1837, Oualisia Kerremans, 1900, Sambomorpha Obenberger, 1924, and Spectralia Casey, 1909

A summary of the published data on host plants and morphology of immature stages of Australian jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) : with additional new records

A summary is given of the published host plant and descriptive immature stage morphology data for 671 species and 11 subspecies in 54 genera of Australian jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). New host data for 155 species and 3 subspecies in 17 genera including the first published data for 75 species are included

The Elijah-Elisha cycle of stories: a ring composition

Ring composition is a literary form found throughout the ancient world. In it, a series of elements advances, one after the other, until it reaches a center point, whereupon the sequence is reversed and returns to its beginning in inverted order. Hence, the first element is paired with the last, the second with the second to the last, and so on, with the second half of the ring a mirror image of the first half. Although ring compositions occur throughout the ancient world, the practice of writing in rings fell out of literary fashion and faded from collective memory. Later readers, unfamiliar with its conventions, found ring compositions difficult to recognize, leading to misinterpretations of numerous ancient texts. Such confusion is evident with the Elijah-Elisha cycle of stories in 1 Kgs 16:23--2 Kgs 13:25. Biblical scholars have routinely maligned these stories as a nonsensical jumble of prophetic tales. This dissertation demonstrates that the stories are not disorganized. Rather, they have been redacted in the formal structure of a ring composition with six rungs. The dissertation follows the lead of the late Mary Douglas, who brought new insights to bear on the problems inherent in identifying and interpreting ancient ring compositions--most critically, in helping to establish what constitutes a parallel correspondence. When we recognize the chiastic structure of the Elijah-Elisha cycle of stories, we discover a carefully crafted work of propaganda that promotes the religious, political, and social reforms of King Josiah of Judah (7th century BCE). These tales had their origins in the traditions of northern Israel, but they were later appropriated and recontextualized by a Judean redactor. Retold, transformed, and arranged in the form of a ring composition, the stories of Elijah and Elisha were employed to build northern support for a neo-Davidic kingdom ruled from Jerusalem. Championing the rallying cry of holy war, Josiah and his party sought to reunite the divided kingdom by capitalizing on the misfortunes of the Assyrian Empire. Under the leadership of Josiah, the chariots and horses of fire--the heavenly army of YHWH--would once again battle for Israel

Lectotype designations in the Buprestidae collection of the National Museum of Natural History (Coleoptera)

Lectotypes are designated for the following species: A. aureocoerulans Obenberger, A. auroguttatus Schaeffer, A. cannulus Obenberger, A. carinellifer Obenberger, A. dolli Schaeffer, A. exclusus Obenberger, A. ferrisi Dury, A. huachucae Schaeffer, A. optatus Obenberger, A. pictithorax Obenberger, A. simillipictus Obenberger, A. subtropicus Schaeffer, Aphanisticus peninsulae Obenberger, Brachys fascifera Schwam, Buprestis adducta Casey, B. caliginosa Casey, B. disruptans Casey, B. fastidiosa Casey, B. flavopicta Casey, B. fulgens Casey, B. fusca Casey, B. graminea Casey, B. gravidula Casey, B. leporina Casey, B. maculipennis deficiens Casey, Chalcophora angulicollis montana Casey, C. laurentica Casey, Cinyra prosternalis Schaeffer, Conognatha fisheri Hoscheck, C. neutra Hoscheck, Cypriacis obscura Casey, C. venusta Casey, Endelus bakerianus Obenberger, E. belial Obenberger, Gyascutus amplus Casey, G. compactus Casey, G. fidelisCasey, G. pistorius Casey, Hippomelas grossus Casey, H. planicauda Casey, Meliboeus carbonicolor Obenberger, Meliboeus pravus Obenberger, Pachyschelus caeruleus Schwam, P. orientalis Obenberger, Poecilonota cupripes Casey, P. parviceps Casey, Polycesta arizonica Schaeffer, Rhaeboscelis texana Schaeffer, Sambus delicatulus Obenberger, Stereosa cribripennis Casey, Stictocera laticornis Casey, S. pollens Casey, Texania bisinuata Casey, Trachys fisheri Obenberger, T. isolata Obenberger, T. scriptella Obenberger, T. subaenella Obenberger, T. (Habroloma) bakeriana Obenberger, T. (H.) singaporensis Obenberger, Tyndaris chamaeleonis Skinner and T. olneyae Skinner

SARS: Systematic review of treatment effects

Background The SARS outbreak of 2002-2003 presented clinicians with a new, life-threatening disease for which they had no experience in treating and no research on the effectiveness of treatment options. The World Health Organization ( WHO) expert panel on SARS treatment requested a systematic review and comprehensive summary of treatments used for SARS-infected patients in order to guide future treatment and identify priorities for research. Methods and Findings In response to the WHO request we conducted a systematic review of the published literature on ribavirin, corticosteroids, lopinavir and ritonavir (LPV/r), type I interferon (IFN), intravenous immunoglobulin ( IVIG), and SARS convalescent plasma from both in vitro studies and in SARS patients. We also searched for clinical trial evidence of treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Sources of data were the literature databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ( CENTRAL) up to February 2005. Data from publications were extracted and evidence within studies was classified using predefined criteria. In total, 54 SARS treatment studies, 15 in vitro studies, and three acute respiratory distress syndrome studies met our inclusion criteria. Within in vitro studies, ribavirin, lopinavir, and type I IFN showed inhibition of SARS-CoV in tissue culture. In SARS-infected patient reports on ribavirin, 26 studies were classified as inconclusive, and four showed possible harm. Seven studies of convalescent plasma or IVIG, three of IFN type I, and two of LPV/r were inconclusive. In 29 studies of steroid use, 25 were inconclusive and four were classified as causing possible harm. Conclusions Despite an extensive literature reporting on SARS treatments, it was not possible to determine whether treatments benefited patients during the SARS outbreak. Some may have been harmful. Clinical trials should be designed to validate a standard protocol for dosage and timing, and to accrue data in real time during future outbreaks to monitor specific adverse effects and help inform treatment

The Socratic Method: Empirical Assessment of a Psychology Capstone Course

Although students make some epistemological progress during college, most graduate without developing meaning-making strategies that reflect an understanding that knowledge is socially constructed. Using a pre-test–post-test design and a within-subjects 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA, this study reports on empirical findings which support the Socratic method of teaching as effective in challenging and changing psychology capstone students’ levels of epistemological maturity as measured by the Learning Environment Preferences survey and Perry’s model of intellectual maturity

Genetic map construction and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for nitrogen use efficiency and its relationship with productivity and quality of the biennial crop Belgian endive (Cichorium intybus L.)

A genetic study of the biennial crop Belgian endive (Cichorium intybus) was carried out to examine the effect of nitrogen nutrition during the vegetative phase in the control of the productivity and quality of the chicon (etiolated bud), a crop that grows during the second phase of development (forcing process). A population of 302 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) was obtained from the cross between contrasting lines "NS1" and "NR2". A genetic map was constructed and QTLs of several physiological and agronomical traits were mapped under two levels of nitrogen fertilization during the vegetative phase (N- and N+). The agronomical traits showed high broad sense heritability, whereas the physiological traits were characterized by low broad sense heritability. Nitrogen reserves mobilization during the forcing process was negatively correlated with nitrogen reserves content of the tuberized root and common QTLs were detected for these traits. The chicon productivity and quality were not correlated, but showed one common QTL. This study revealed that chicon productivity and quality were genetically associated with nitrogen reserves mobilization that exerts opposite effects on both traits. Chicon productivity was positively correlated with N reserves mobilization under N- and N+ and a common QTL with the same additive effects was detected for both traits. Chicon quality was negatively correlated with N reserves mobilization under N- and N+ and a common QTL with opposite additive effects was detected for both traits. These results lead to the conclusion that N reserves mobilization is a more effective trait than N reserves content in predicting chicon productivity and quality. Finally, this study revealed agronomical and physiological QTLs utilizable by breeders via marker-assisted selection to aid the optimization of chicon quality under adapted N fertilization

Counselling in primary care : a systematic review of the evidence

Primary objective: To undertake a systematic review which aimed to locate, appraise and synthesise evidence to obtain a reliable overview of the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and user perspectives regarding counselling in primary care. Main results: Evidence from 26 studies was presented as a narrative synthesis and demonstrated that counselling is effective in the short term, is as effective as CBT with typical heterogeneous primary care populations and more effective than routine primary care for the treatment of non-specific generic psychological problems, anxiety and depression. Counselling may reduce levels of referrals to psychiatric services, but does not appear to reduce medication, the number of GP consultations or overall costs. Patients are highly satisfied with the counselling they have received in primary care and prefer counselling to medication for depression. Conclusions and implications for future research: This review demonstrates the value of counselling as a valid choice for primary care patients and as a broadly effective therapeutic intervention for a wide range of generic psychological conditions presenting in the primary care setting. More rigorous clinical and cost-effectiveness trials are needed together with surveys of more typical users of primary care services