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Invertebrate herbivory along a gradient of plant species diversity in extensively managed grasslands.

Increasing plant diversity has long been hypothesized to negatively affect levels of invertebrate herbivory due to a lower number of specialist insect herbivores in more diverse sites, but studies of natural systems have been rare. We used a planned comparison to study herbivory in a set of 19 semi-natural montane grasslands managed as hay meadows. Herbivory was measured in transects through the plant communities, and in individuals of Plantago lanceolata and Trifolium pratense that were transplanted into each meadow. In addition, plant community biomass and arthropod abundances were determined in the grasslands. Before the first mowing in June, mean herbivory levels correlated negatively with plant species richness, as predicted by theory, but they were also significantly affected by plant community biomass and plant community composition. After mowing, herbivory levels were only significantly related to plant community composition. Damage levels in the transplants were lower than herbivory levels in the established plant communities. Most insect herbivores were generalists and not specialists. The number of insect herbivores and spiders were positively correlated and tended to increase with increasing plant species richness. Herbivory levels were correlated negatively with spider abundances. We conclude that while the predicted negative relationship between plant species richness and insect herbivory can be found in grasslands, the underlying mechanism involves generalist rather than specialist herbivores. Our data also suggest a role of natural enemies in generalist herbivore activities.

Animals↗

Organization of taste-evoked activity in the hamster parabrachial nucleus.

Small groups of 3-4 neighboring taste neurons in the hamster parabrachial nucleus (PBN) were either generalists (42%) or specialists (58%). Generalists responded well to sucrose, NaCl, KCl, and their mixture but specialists responded to only one or two stimuli. PBN temporal response patterns resembled chorda tympani patterns, indicating that they were preserved across two synapses. Generalist neuron-groups were distributed throughout the central medial (CM) subdivision of PBN. Sucrose-sensitive neuron-groups, which responded best to mixtures, were restricted to rostral CM, whereas most NaCl-best neuron groups were in caudal CM. These results suggest a multifaceted functional organization of taste sensibilities in the PBN.

Animals↗

Infertility treatment dropout and insurance coverage.

OBJECTIVE: To assess early patient dropout rates during infertility treatment as a potential measure of wasted resources. METHODS: The study involved multifaceted population cohorts, including a prospectively observed captive health maintenance organization (HMO) population and retrospectively selected preferred provider organization (PPO) patients. One hundred twenty-eight HMO couples were followed prospectively for 6 months. The insurance carrier retroactively selected 96 couples from their PPO population who were believed to be infertility patients. They were matched by date, age, and time of hysterosalpingography to infertility patients in the carrier's HMO population. Patients were considered treatment dropouts if they either requested their provider to abandon further work-up or treatment, or if they failed to return for an appointment for 3 months. RESULTS: Forty-six of 128 (36%) HMO patients followed prospectively discontinued care within 180 days, with only eight (6.3%) providing defined reasons. Preferred provider organization patients uniformly demonstrated significantly higher dropout rates than HMO patients, a finding already apparent at 60 days (P < .002; odds ratio [OR] 3.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47-9.97) and 120 days of treatment (P = .002; OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.39-6.06). Among PPO patients, dropout rates were especially pronounced if infertility care was provided by generalists. At billing levels of at least $2000, HMO patients also demonstrated less dropout than PPO patients (P < .001; OR 6.14, 95% CI 2.72-14.79), with generalists again demonstrating a significantly larger patient loss than infertility specialists (P < .001; OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.66-0.49). CONCLUSION: Infertility patients demonstrate a surprisingly large early dropout rate, which is significantly larger if patients receive infertility care from generalists rather than specialists. Newly presenting infertility patients should be carefully evaluated, especially in indemnity situations, before expensive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are ordered.

Adult↗

Niche breadth in parasites: an evolutionarily stable strategy model, with special reference to the protozoan parasite Leishmania.

A parasite's host range essentially defines its niche breadth, which, as foraging theory predicts, is influenced by resource availability. For parasites, the interaction of infection and transmission characteristics with host population dynamics determines host availability. An epidemiological model, involving two host types and describing competition between a "generalist" parasite strain and a related "specialist" strain, is used to examine the interplay among host range, relative host availabilities, and adaptational compromises engendered by increased host range. Results show that the generalist can predominate even when it cannot maintain itself in either host alone, but that the specialist can persist if its reproductive rate attains some threshold relative to either of the generalist's respective rates in its two hosts. The model is in rough, qualitative agreement with observed dynamics of two Leishmania parasite-host systems, and overall results suggest that infection of two species with a common parasite can lead to complex, indirect coevolutionary dynamics.

Adaptation, Biological↗

Patterns of diagnostic testing in the academic setting: the influence of medical attendings' subspecialty training.

Internists with subspecialty training (subspecialists) constitute the majority of the medical faculty members and the test-ordering behavior of these subspecialists influences how house officers and students solve clinical problems. To assess whether test-ordering patterns are influenced by the ward attendings' subspecialty status, we identified the number of gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, bone marrow procedures and exercise stress tests that were ordered on 9608 patients admitted to a medical service during a 3 year period. The patient management was supervised by attendings, 8 of whom were generalists and 37 of whom were subspecialists. House officers supervised by generalists ordered 23% fewer gastrointestinal procedures, 47% fewer bone marrow procedures, 43% fewer exercise stress tests and 29% fewer total procedures than house staff supervised by subspecialists (P--not significant, P less than 0.001, P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, respectively). House officers perceive a difference between the test-ordering patterns of subspecialists and generalists. They attribute this difference to post-residency training and believe that the use of more tests indicates a greater compulsion toward an exhaustive evaluation.

Diagnostic Services↗

Detoxification rates of wild herbivorous woodrats (Neotoma).

The detoxification systems of mammalian herbivores are thought to have evolved in response to the ingestion of plant secondary compounds. Specialist herbivores consume high quantities of secondary compounds and are predicted to have faster rates of Phase 1 detoxification compared to generalist herbivores. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the performances of a specialist (Neotoma fuscipes) and generalist (Neotoma lepida) herbivore using hypnotic state assays. Herbivores foraging in nature were live trapped and injected with hexobarbital (100 mg/kg). We measured the length of time in the hypnotic state as the time in which the animal was unable to right itself twice in 30 s. The specialist metabolized hexobarbital 1.7 times faster than the generalist (F(1, 19) = 9.31, P = 0.007) as revealed by its significantly shorter time spent in the hypnotic state (56+/-9 min vs. 87+/-8 min, respectively). The results are consistent with the hypothesis that specialists have faster rates of Phase 1 detoxification. This is the first evaluation of the detoxification capability of mammalian herbivores foraging under natural conditions. Hypnotic state assays have broad potential applications to the study of vertebrate-plant interactions.

Animals↗

Access to palliative care in rural settings: A mixed-methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Rural populations experience persistent inequities in access to palliative care. Existing evidence often describes individual barriers separately, with less attention to how access breaks down across the care pathway or how different service configurations shape access. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence on access to palliative care in rural settings and examine how access barriers, service models, and implementation conditions interact across the care pathway. METHODS: A mixed-methods systematic review using a convergent integrated approach searched nine databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, CNKI, WanFang, SinoMed) from inception to 15 March 2026, supplemented by hand-searching. Eligible studies were primary qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies on access to palliative care for adults in rural or non-urban settings. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings were mapped to the Levesque access framework, analysed using the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and integrated through mixed-methods synthesis, with additional coding of service models. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies were included, of which 26 were conducted in high-income countries and eight in low- and middle-income countries. Service configurations included specialist or hospice-oriented care, generalist or primary-care-oriented care, mixed specialist-generalist models, home-based and caregiver-centred care, nurse-coordinated services, telehealth-supported care, and community or implementation-oriented approaches. Access broke down cumulatively across four interdependent stages: recognition, entry, reach, and use and continuity, with affordability constraining every stage. Recognition was limited by low awareness, poor service visibility, and delayed identification of need. Entry was shaped by stigma, trust, family expectations, and unclear referral processes. Reach was constrained by distance, transport, workforce shortages, limited specialist capacity, and weak infrastructure. Use and continuity were affected by fragmented coordination, weak transitions, unstable follow-up, and reliance on family caregivers. Access problems varied across service configurations. Evidence on service innovations was methodologically less certain, and the overall evidence base remained concentrated in high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Access to palliative care in rural settings is best understood as a pathway and service-configuration problem rather than simply a deficit in service availability. Improving access requires earlier recognition, clearer referral routes, stronger specialist-generalist and nursing links, better support for family caregivers, and greater attention to affordability, continuity, and rural settings with limited resources. REGISTRATION: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews: CRD420261340783.

Health Services Accessibility↗

Evolutionary dynamics and highly optimized tolerance.

We develop a numerical model of a lattice community based on Highly Optimized Tolerance (HOT), which relates the evolution of complexity to robustness tradeoffs in an uncertain environment. With the model, we explore scenarios for evolution and extinction which are abstractions of processes which are commonly discussed in biological and ecological case studies. These include the effects of different habitats on the phenotypic traits of the organisms, the effects of different mutation rates on adaptation, fitness, and diversity, and competition between generalists and specialists. The model exhibits a wide variety of microevolutionary and macroevolutionary phenomena which can arise in organisms which are subject to random mutation, and selection based on fitness evaluated in a specific environment. Generalists arise in uniform habitats, where different disturbances occur with equal frequency, while specialists arise when the relative frequency of different disturbances is skewed. Fast mutators are seen to play a primary role in adaptation, while slow mutators preserve well-adapted configurations. When uniform and skewed habitats are coupled through migration of the organisms, we observe a primitive form of punctuated equilibrium. Rare events in the skewed habitat lead to extinction of the specialists, whereupon generalists invade from the uniform habitat, adapt to their new surroundings, ultimately leading their progeny to become vulnerable to extinction in a subsequent rare disturbance.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Delta13C and delta15N shifts in benthic invertebrates exposed to sewage from McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

In an effort to identify biomonitors for contamination of Antarctic marine benthos by sewage, this study determines whether the US Antarctic Program's McMurdo Station produces a benthic sewage footprint and whether resident megafauna are assimilating sewage-derived material. We identified strong C and N isotopic gradients in benthic sediment as a function of downstream distance from McMurdo Station's point-source sewage addition. Sediment C and N isotope ratios approached marine background levels at the sampling end-point 612 m downcurrent. Based on isotope abundances in their tissues, at least some sewage C and N were assimilated by the sedentary, suspension feeding soft coral Alcyonium antarcticum, ascidian Cnemidocarpa verrucosa and bivalve Laternula elliptica. However, as inferred by tissue-sediment differences in downstream isotope trends, such assimilation was not in proportion to sewage exposure and input, therefore implying non-generalist feeding behavior by these species. In contrast, the motile, generalist feeding sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri, sea star Odontaster validus and ribbon worm Parborlasia corrugatus showed isotopic evidence of sewage C and N assimilation roughly in proportion to sewage input. We recommend these generalist feeders for further use as biomonitors at this site now that sewage treatment has been implemented. As these species are circumpolar in distribution, they may also prove useful elsewhere in the Antarctic.

Animals↗

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution of host plant use in the Neotropical rolled leaf 'hispine' beetle genus Cephaloleia (Chevrolat) (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae).

Here, we report the results of a species level phylogenetic study of Cephaloleia beetles designed to clarify relationships and patterns of host plant taxon and tissue use among species. Our study is based on up to 2088bp of mtDNA sequence data. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic inference consistently recover a monophyletic Cephaloleia outside of a basal clade of primarily palm feeding species (the 'Arecaceae-feeding clade'), and C. irregularis. In all three analyses, the 'Arecaceae-feeding clade' includes Cephaloleia spp. with unusual morphological features, and a few species currently placed in other cassidine genera and tribes. All three analyses also recover a clade that includes all Zingiberales feeding Cephaloleia and most Cephaloleia species (the 'Zingiberales-feeding clade'). Two notable clades are found within the 'Zingiberales-feeding clade.' One is comprised of beetles that normally feed only on the young rolled leaves of plants in the families Heliconiaceae and Marantaceae (the 'Heliconiaceae & Marantaceae-feeding clade'). The other is comprised of relative host tissue generalist, primarily Zingiberales feeding species (the 'generalist-feeding clade'). A few species in the 'generalist-feeding clade' utilize Cyperaceae or Poaceae as hosts. Overall, relatively basal Cephaloleia (e.g., the 'Arecaceae clade') feed on relatively basal monocots (e.g., Cyclanthaceae and Arecaceae), and relatively derived Cephaloleia (e.g., the 'Zingiberales-feeding clade') feed on relatively derived monocots (mostly in the order Zingiberales). Zingiberales feeding and specialization on young rolled Zingiberales leaves have each apparently evolved just once in Cephaloleia.

Adaptation, Biological↗

Parasite faunas of freshwater fish: the relationship between richness and the specificity of parasites.

The relationship between the host specificity of parasites and the richness of the assemblages in which they occur was examined among the parasite faunas of Canadian freshwater fishes. The prediction tested was that rich faunas would consist of both generalist and specialist parasites, whereas poor faunas would include only generalists, a pattern known as nestedness. An index of nestedness was computed for parasite faunas of fish species in 5 large families (Salmonidae, Cyprinidae, Catostomidae, Centrarchidae and Percidae) and compared with the value expected if parasite faunas are random assemblages of parasites. There was no evidence of nested patterns among any of the 5 families of fish hosts. However, since both measures of host range of parasites (i.e. number of known host species) and richness of parasite faunas are affected by how intensely the different parasites and hosts have been studied, tests of nestedness may be flawed. After correcting both variables for study effort, negative correlations were found between the mean host range of parasites and the richness of the faunas to which they belong. In other words, parasites in rich faunas occurred on average in fewer host species, because of the many specialists, than parasites in poor faunas, which are mainly generalists. This relationship was apparent in all fish but the Salmonidae; fish species in this family have been introduced to new areas much more frequently than other fish, and their parasite faunas have thus had a distinct recent history. The general trend observed in non-salmonid fish suggests that parasite colonization and speciation may have been facilitated in some fish species, but not in others.

Animals↗

Correlates of clinical preventive practices among internal medicine residents.

BACKGROUND: Healthy People: 2010 calls for improvement in the delivery of clinical preventive services. Physicians value preventive services, yet their rates of prevention consistently fall below recommendations. This study examines the relationship between personal characteristics of internal medicine residents and their clinical prevention practices in an outpatient setting. METHODS: Participants were 56 of 80 physicians (70%) in an internal medicine residency program in New Jersey. Personal characteristics (i.e., demographics, specialty orientation, attitudes toward prevention, and personal health behaviors) of the residents were collected via a self-administered survey. A 12-month retrospective chart review of 184 new doctor-patient encounters was performed to determine rates of clinical preventive services. RESULTS: Clinical preventive services were performed at varying rates, and differential practices specific to the patient's gender and/or age were detected for several services. Multiple regression revealed four significant predictors of overall prevention practice: clinic site, international medical graduates, generalist orientation, and self perceived health status (R(2) = 0.32). Predictors of health promotion counseling were clinic site, international medical graduates, and generalist orientation (R(2) = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: While personal characteristics such as self-rated health and generalist orientation were associated with preventive practices, factors related to the office environment were also associated with increased delivery of clinical preventive services. Prevention-oriented office systems, such as "Put Prevention Into Practice," should be worthwhile considerations to increase delivery of preventive services.

Adult↗

Patients' opinions regarding direct access to dermatologic specialty care.

Many factors such as cost have been used by managed care systems to limit patient access to specialty care, including dermatology. To date, however, patients' opinions regarding these decisions have not been analyzed. The purpose of the study was to survey patient opinions regarding the efficacy, costs, and desirability of gatekeeper-mediated versus direct access to dermatologic specialty care. One hundred fifteen of 150 consecutive patients who were seen in an outpatient dermatology clinic completed an anonymous survey concerning their current visit. They were asked about referral to the dermatologist by other physicians, number of prior physician visits, and efficacy of therapies received. Patients rated their level of satisfaction with generalist versus specialist care for their condition and evaluated the importance of direct access to dermatologic specialty care. Thirty-nine percent of respondents (42 of 108) were on their first visit to the dermatologist for their current condition. One half of respondents (57 of 115) had previously seen another physician for this condition. Thirty percent (34 of 115) had been referred to the dermatologist by another physician, most often a family practitioner or internist. Two thirds (38 of 57) of those seen by a previous physician had received therapy from that physician, but only one third (12 of 35) believed it to have been of any benefit. Twenty-three percent (11 of 47) claimed to have incurred more than five visits to the other physician before seeing the dermatologist. Twenty-four percent of patients (12 of 50) were "very satisfied" with the previous physician's care compared with 89% (100 of 112) with the dermatologist's care. Only 6% of respondents (7 of 122) believed a generalist could adequately treat their skin disease. Eighty-seven percent (100 of 115) described direct access to dermatology as being "very important" to their health care. The results of this study suggest that many patients may prefer dermatologic specialists over generalists as primary caregivers for diseases of the skin. They may favor direct access to dermatologic specialty care for its efficacy and for cost and time savings.

Adolescent↗

Host specificity of abomasal nematodes in free ranging alpine ruminants.

Abomasums from 641 alpine wild ruminants representing five different species (Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra rupicapra, Capra ibex, Ovis musimon) and from 19 domestic sheep (Ovis aries) from alpine areas were examined in order to investigate the host-specificity of abomasal helminths. Nine out of 20 helminth species were found in at least five different host species. A discriminant analysis was able to significantly discriminate the hosts on the basis of their helminth community composition with the exception of O. musimon and O. aries. Based on the correlation between each variable represented by helminth species with the most explanatory discriminant axis, it was possible to classify helminths into specialists and generalists. Specialists are represented by the dominant species in a community of an host species or family while generalists appear in the communities of many different hosts as intermediate species. Due to the pathogenic potential of some of these generalist species (i.e. Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei) and their ability to adapt easily to the conditions found in several different hosts, they appear to be the most important from a sanitary point of view.

Abomasum↗

Treatment of patients admitted to the hospital with congestive heart failure: specialty-related disparities in practice patterns and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to define specialty-related differences in the care and outcome of patients admitted to the hospital with congestive heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure is the leading diagnosis-related group (DRG) discharge diagnosis in the United States and accounts for an estimated annual hospital cost in excess of $7 billion. The clinical impact of aggressive CHF management and the importance of the subspecialist in guiding this care have not been evaluated. METHODS: To define differences in physician practice patterns, we performed a chart review of consecutive patients admitted to a university teaching hospital with a primary DRG discharge diagnosis of CHF. We compared treatment and outcome of patients cared for by a generalist (n = 160) and those whose care was guided by a cardiologist (n = 138) during their index hospital period with CHF and over the next 6 months. RESULTS: At our institution, > 50% of patients admitted to the hospital with CHF cared for by generalists alone had minimal (New York Heart Association functional class I or II) symptoms, compared with < 15% of those cared for by a cardiologist (p < 0.01). Although generalists' patients underwent significantly fewer in-hospital diagnostic tests and had shorter lengths of stay, they had a 1.7-fold increased risk of readmission for CHF within 6 months (p < 0.05). Six-month cardiac and all-cause mortality were not significantly different between the groups. The type of physician caring for the patient and a history of diabetes, previous CHF or myocardial infarction were independent predictors of readmission for CHF. CONCLUSIONS: Involvement of a cardiologist in the care of patients admitted to the hospital with CHF is associated with increased use of diagnostic testing, longer hospital stays and improved clinical outcome. These results substantiate practice guidelines that suggest a role for cardiologists in the care of symptomatic patients with CHF.

Aged↗

Improving the quality of care through routine teleradiology consultation.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The hypotheses of this study were as follows: (a) University subspecialty radiologists can provide consultations effectively to general radiologists as part of routine clinical operations; (b) these consultations will improve the quality of the final radiologic report; and (c) the consultations will improve the care process and may save money, as well. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 2,012 consecutive computed tomographic or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies, the initial interpretations provided by radiology generalists were subsequently reviewed by specialists, with a final consensus report available. "Truth" was established by final consensus reports. To control for potential bias, 150 adult MR imaging and 250 pediatric radiologic studies were interpreted initially by specialists and then by generalists. Again, truth was established by final consensus reports. RESULTS: There was disagreement between generalist and specialist radiologist interpretations in 427 (21.2%) of the cases reviewed. These disagreements were stratified further by independent specialists, who graded them as important, very important, or unimportant. Differences were considered important or very important in 99% of the cases reviewed. CONCLUSION: Consultations by subspecialty radiologists improved the quality of the radiology reports studied and, at least in some cases, improved the process of care by eliminating unnecessary procedures or suggesting more specific follow-up examinations. The consultation services can be provided cost-effectively from the payer's perspective and may save additional costs when unnecessary procedures can be eliminated.

Humans↗

Glutathione S-transferases of Aulacorthum solani and Acyrthosiphon pisum: partial purification and characterization.

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) play an important role in the detoxification of many substances including allelochemicals from plants. Brassicaceae plants contain glucosinolates and emit volatile isothiocyanates which affect the GST system. A comparison of the GST of two aphid species, the generalist Aulacorthum solani found on Brassicaceae and the Fabaceae specialist Acyrthosiphon pisum, was made to try to explain their respective feeding behaviour. Differences of GST were determined among the two aphid species based on purification by affinity chromatography, SDS-PAGE and on kinetic studies. Purification yields using an epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B column were highly different for the two aphid species (18% and 34% for A. solani and A. pisum, respectively). These variations were confirmed by SDS-PAGE. While only a 27-kDa band was observed for A. pisum, two bands of approximately 25-kDa were visualized for the generalist aphid, A. solani. Considering the kinetic results, differences of Km and Vmax were observed following the aphid species when a range of substrates (CDNB and DCNB) and GSH concentrations were tested. Studies on the detoxification enzymes of generalist and specialist herbivores would be undertaken to determine accurately the effect of the host plant on the organisms eating them, particularly in terms of biochemical and ecological advantages.

Animals↗

Reliability of the V-scope system in the measurement of arm movement in children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy.

This study reports on a novel methodology using the V-scope to quantify elbow and shoulder movement in young children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP), and the intra- and interreliability of this method. The V-scope, a portable, inexpensive movement analysis system, was configured in an L-shape, with two transmitting towers placed on the floor and one 1.35m off the ground. These towers received ultrasonic pulses from buttons that were placed over standardized landmarks of the child's trunk, chest, and upper limb. Two physiotherapists (a paediatric and a generalist) facilitated the maximum range of active elbow flexion/extension and shoulder abduction/flexion in 30 children with OBPP (18 females, 12 males; age range 6mo-4y 7mo; mean age 2y 6mo [SD 1y 2mo]). Assessments were conducted on two occasions, one week apart. The V-scope was found to be feasible to use by a specialist and a generalist physiotherapist, demonstrating moderate to high reliability coefficients, small measurement errors, and lack of missing data. The pediatric physiotherapist was more reliable in measuring elbow and shoulder movement compared with the generalist physiotherapist, which suggests that the same experienced, pediatric physiotherapist should assess elbow and shoulder movement across all occasions of testing.

Arm↗