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Importance: Although play and positive caregiving strategies have been associated with child well-being, little is known about the relationship between play type and strategies used by caregivers in early childhood., Objective: To investigate whether a relationship exists between play type and positive caregiving strategies., Design: Exploratory correlational nonexperimental design., Setting: Early childhood center., Participants: A convenience sample that included 60 observations of 14 caregivers during a therapeutic playgroup with 14 children with and without disabilities ages 15 mo to 3 yr (4 fathers, 3 mothers, 1 nanny, and 6 female early childhood teachers; age range = 30-39 yr). The caregivers were Black (n = 1; 7.1%), Hispanic (n = 5; 35.7%), and White (n = 8; 57.1%)., Outcomes and Measures: Positive caregiving strategies were scored using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes., Results: Results revealed no significant correlations between play type and positive caregiving strategy. There was a positive, significant correlation between caregiving strategies (affection, responsiveness, encouragement, teaching, and total; rpbs = .767-.970, n = 58, p = .001). The play type and caregiver type variables did not predict total positive caregiving strategies, F(2, 57) = 2.147, p = .126. One variable, caregiver type, added statistical significance to the prediction (p = .045)., Conclusions and Relevance: The findings show no relationship between play type and positive caregiving strategy. Consideration of the types of caregivers participating in a therapeutic playgroup and their roles and use of positive strategies during play is worthy of further investigation. Plain-Language Summary: This study explored how parent and teacher caregivers supported children (both with and without disabilities) during a therapeutic playgroup at an early childhood center. Therapeutic playgroups are a special type of group play in which a trained professional helps guide play activities to support participation. The researchers wanted to see whether there was a connection between the type of play the children engaged in and how the adult caregivers interacted with them. The surprising finding was that there was no link between play type and how caregivers interacted. However, the caregivers often used positive strategies with the children, regardless of the play activity. Interestingly, type of caregiver (parent, teacher) seemed to make a slight difference in how they interacted with the children during playtime. Overall, this study suggests that more research is needed to understand how the types of play activities and objects might influence caregiver interactions during group play., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

Occupational therapists view play through a unique lens. Considering play as a human occupation, and one to which all people have a right, places occupational therapists among a special group of professionals championing play. This State of the Science article seeks to increase awareness regarding the occupational therapy profession's contributions and to situate those contributions within the larger body of literature on play while also promoting further study of play as an occupation., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

Aim: To assess the efficacy of Er:YAG laser (ERL) and erythritol powder air-polishing (AP) in addition to the submarginal instrumentation in the non-surgical treatment of peri-implant mucositis (PM)., Materials and Methods: Patients with at least one implant diagnosed with PM were included in the present 6-month randomized clinical trial (RCT). Implants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups after submarginal instrumentation: AP (test 1 group), ERL (test 2 group) or no adjunctive methods (control group). The primary and secondary outcomes were, respectively, bleeding on probing (BoP) reduction and, complete disease resolution (total absence of BoP) and probing pocket depth (PPD) changes. The patient and the implant were considered the statistical unit. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed., Results: A total of 75 patients were enrolled in the study. At each time point, significant BoP and PPD reductions were observed within each group. Intergroup analysis did not show statistically significant differences. Complete disease resolution ranged between 29% and 31%. The logistic regression showed that supramucosal restoration margin, PPD < 4 mm and vestibular keratinized mucosa (KM) significantly influenced the probability to obtain treatment success., Conclusion: The adjunctive use of AP and ERL in PM non-surgical therapy does not seem to provide any significant or clinically relevant benefit in terms of BoP and PPD reductions and complete disease resolution, over the use of submarginal instrumentation alone. Baseline PPD < 4 mm, presence of buccal KM and supramucosal restoration margin may play a role in the complete resolution of PM., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The under-sieve fraction (USF), obtained as one of the output streams from the mechanical pretreatment of mixed municipal solid waste, is usually aerobically biologically stabilized before being landfilled. For its characteristics (i.e., moisture and organic content), the USF can be alternatively processed by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), producing hydrochar to be used for energy production. Based on previous results obtained from laboratory HTC tests of the USF, this work is aimed at evaluating the sustainability of the proposed process from an environmental point of view by applying the Life Cycle Assessment. Various combinations of process parameters (temperature, time, and dry solid-to-water ratios) and two different utilization pathways for hydrochar (the whole amount produced in external lignite power plants or part of it used internally) are compared. The results indicate that environmental performances are mainly connected with process energy consumption: in general, the cases operating at the lowest dilution ratio and the highest temperature provide improved environmental indicators. Co-combusting all the produced hydrochar in external power plants provides better environmental performances than feeding a portion of it to the HTC itself: the avoided effects by displacing lignite are higher than the additional burdens from natural gas use. Then, alternative process water treatments are compared, showing that the burdens added by the process water treatments do not offset the benefits generated by the main HTC process for the major part of the considered environmental indicators. Finally, the proposed process indicates better environmental performances when compared to the conventional method of treating the USF, based on aerobic biostabilization and landfilling., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper we revised the species of Serica McLeay, 1819 (sensu lato) occurring in China an adjacent areas, and provide an update on the genus Nipponoserica Nomura, 1972. The revision resulted in one new combination: Serica adspersa (Frey, 1972), new combination. Thirty-nine new species are described: Nipponoserica daqiao Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, Serica allolongipes Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. allotengchongana Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. baishuitaiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. baoshan Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. daqiaoana Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. dissimillima Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. emaw Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. gaoligong Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. guangnanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. hailuogou Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. huangbaiyuanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. huangjing Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. jani Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. jaroslavi Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. jiankouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. jirii Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. kuankuoshuiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. limbourgi Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. longipes longipes Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. longwang Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. mengsongana Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. nanhua Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. pangwa Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. paralongipes Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. paralupina Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. pseudogracilipes Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. shengtangshan Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. shiduensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. smetanai Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. taishun Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. tengchongana Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. tianmushan Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. tianpingshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. yini Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. yuheba Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. zhenba Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species, S. ziqingi Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, new species. A key to species groups and species within groups is given, habitus and male genitalia of the revised species are illustrated. The distribution of the species revised herein is shown on maps. New distributional data are given for sixteen species.

The COVID-19 wave is being recently propelled by BA.2 and, particularly, BA.5 lineages, showing clear transmission advantages over the previously circulating strains. In this study, neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 Wild-Type, BA.2 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages were evaluated among vaccinees, uninfected or infected with Omicron BA.1 strain, 8 months after the third dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The aim of this study was to compare the cross-protective humoral response to the currently circulating variant strains induced by vaccination, followed by Omicron infection in some subjects. Results showed a low antibody titer against all three variants in uninfected vaccinated subjects. On the other hand, vaccinated subjects, infected with BA.1 variant after receiving the third dose (about 40 days later), showed a strong response against both BA.2 and BA.5 strains, albeit with lower titers. This reinforces the concept that vaccination is fundamental to induce an adequate and protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2, but needs to be updated, in order to also widen the range of action towards emerging variants, phylogenetically distant from the Wuhan strain, against which the current formulation is targeted.

Due to the rapid global spread of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, efforts to scale up COVID-19 booster vaccination have been improved, especially in light of the increasing evidence of reduced neutralizing antibody (NT Ab) over time in vaccinated subjects. In this study, neutralizing antibody responses against the Wild-Type, Delta, and Omicron strains were evaluated among vaccinees, both infected with Omicron or uninfected, and non-vaccinated subjects infected with Omicron. The aim of the study was to compare the cross-protective humoral response to the variant strains induced by vaccination and/or Omicron infection. The results showed a significant difference in the neutralizing antibody response between the vaccinees and the Omicron-infected vaccinated subjects against the three tested strains (p < 0.001), confirming the booster effect of the Omicron infection in the vaccinees. By contrast, Omicron infection only did not enhance the antibody response to the other variants, indicating a lack of cross-protection. These results suggest the importance of updating the current formulation of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to protect people against the Omicron subvariants. A specific Omicron vaccine, administered as a booster for the previously adopted mRNA vaccines, may protect against a wider range of SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, it is unlikely that the Omicron vaccine alone would be able to protect non-vaccinated subjects against other circulating variants.

Background: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to (i) determine the prevalence and distribution of developmental grooves in a young population and (ii) to evaluate the local periodontal conditions. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-one students with a mean age of 22.9 ± 4.7, attending the School of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene of Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (Milan, Italy) were included. The subjects underwent a clinical evaluation by two calibrated examiners. The following clinical parameters were recorded for each site presenting a radicular groove and for each corresponding site on an adjacent tooth used as control: probing pocket depth, plaque index, bleeding on probing, recession depth. Results: The prevalence of radicular grooves at patient and tooth level was 15.9% and 5%, respectively. When compared to control sites, the number of teeth with a radicular groove that presented plaque and bleeding on probing was higher. The logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of radicular grooves was significantly associated with the presence of plaque (OR, 6.14, p < 0.001) and of bleeding on probing (OR, 2.91, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The presence of radicular grooves increases the possibility of developing gingival inflammation by acting as a plaque retentive factor.

Here we present an overview of the species of the genus Amiserica Nomura, 1974. The taxonomy of the species of eastern Asia (China and adjacent regions) is revised herein, which so far have not been treated yet. Twenty-eight species are discovered new to science: Amiserica basisymmetrica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. belousovi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. carolusholzschuhi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. diaocangshana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. eucurviforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. fengyangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. funiushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. gibbosiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. guanmenshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. guizhouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. gulinqin Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. incisa Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. jiuhuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. jizuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. linzhouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. longxinensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. lucidiflava Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. nahang Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. panghongae Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pappi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. piaoac Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pseudoantennalis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. pseudoincisa Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. sacculiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. strnadi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. ventriscalptus Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. venxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species, A. zhongtiaoshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, new species. Furthermore, our investigation resulted in two new combinations: Maladera (Eumaladera) loi (Kobayashi, 1991), new combination and Amiserica antennalis (Nomura, 1974), new combination; the first species is thus excluded from Amiserica. A key to species groups and species within groups is given, habitus and male genitalia are illustrated. The distribution of the species revised herein is shown on maps.

In the present study the taxonomy of the species of the genus Trioserica Moser, 1922 from China is revised. We recorded so far six valid species, of which five resulted to be new to science: Trioserica cangyuanensis Ahrens, Liu Fabrizi, new species, T. daweishana Ahrens, Liu Fabrizi, new species, T. dinghushanica Ahrens, Liu Fabrizi, new species, T. lilongensis Ahrens, Liu Fabrizi, new species, and T. shiyiduiensis Ahrens, Liu Fabrizi, new species. The habitus and male genitalia of the species are illustrated and maps of their known distribution are shown.

Data regarding antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in patients infected with COVID-19 are not yet available. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum antibody responses in patients regardless of the outcome. We measured the circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels in 60 subjects with a certified history of SARS-CoV-2 infection by using immunoenzymatic, chemiluminescent, and Neutralization assays. Half patients had a severe infection, the other half were pauci-symptomatic. We analyzed their antibody response to see the trend of the humoral response. Our results showed a significant difference in circulating IgG level among the two groups. The neutralizing antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 was significantly higher among those who had severe disease. Furthermore, ten subjects from each group were screened twice, and a declining antibody trend was observed in pauci-symptomatic individuals. These findings provide evidence that humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in pauci-symptomatic people is weak and may not be long-lasting. This may have implications for immunity strategy and prevention, since it is still not clear whether a time-dependent decrease of both circulating and neutralizing antibodies to nonprotective levels could occur in a longer time span and whether potential vaccines are able to induce a herd immunity and a durable response., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In the present monograph, the taxonomy of the species of the genus Maladera Mulsant Rey, 1871 from China is revised. We recorded 224 valid species for China, including 152 species new to science: Maladera allonitens Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. anhuiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. apicalis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. aptera Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baii Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baishaoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bansongchana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. baoxingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bawanglingana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bawanglingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. beibengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. beidouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bikouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. breviclava Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. bubengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. businskyorum Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. chenzhouana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. constellata Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. crenatotibialis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. crenolatipes Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. daanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. dadongshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. dahongshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. dajuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. danfengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. dayaoshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. diaolinensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. emeifengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. enigma Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. erlangshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. eshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. excisilabrata Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fangana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fangchengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fencli Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fengyangshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fereobscurata Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. filigraniforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. flavipennis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. fuanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guangdongana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guangzhaishanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guanxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guanxiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guomenshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. guomenshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. gusakovi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. haba Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. habashanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hajeki Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hansmalickyi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hongyuanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. houzhenziensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hsui Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. huanianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hubeiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hui Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hunanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hunuguensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. hutiaoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jaroslavi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jatuai Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jiangi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jingdongensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jinggangshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jinghongensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jiucailingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. jizuana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. juntongi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. juxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. kalawensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. kryschanowskii Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. kubeceki Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. laocaiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. lianxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. liaochengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. liwenzhui Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. longruiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. luoxiangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. lushanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. lushuiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. maguanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. maoershana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. mupingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. nabanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. nanlingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. nanpingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. ninglangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. panyuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. parabrunnescens Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. paradetersa Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. paranitens Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. paraserripes Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. parobscurata Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. peregoi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pieli Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pingchuanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudoconsularis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudoegregia Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudoexima Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudofuscipes Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudonitens Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pseudosenta Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. pui Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. putaodiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. qianqingtangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. queinneci Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. riberai Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. robustula Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. rubriventris Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. rufonitida Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. rufopaca Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. sanqingshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. serratiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shaluishanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shangraoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shaowuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shenglongi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shengqiaoae Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shiniushanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shiruguanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shiwandashanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. shoumanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. sinobiloba Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. snizeki Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. songi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. taiyangheensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tengchongensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tiachiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tiammushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tiani Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tianzushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. tongzhongensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. trifidiforceps Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. uncipenis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. wandingana Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. weni Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. wipfleri Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. wulaoshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. wuliangshanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. wupingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. xingkei Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. xingkeyangi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. xinqiaoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. xuezhongi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yakouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yangi Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yibini Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yipinglangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yongrenensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. yunnanica Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n., M. zhejiangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi Liu, sp. n. The work also resulted in nine new combinations and 17 new synonyms: Maladera (subgenus Omaladera Reitter, 1896) (= Cephaloserica Brenske, 1900, syn. n.; = Coronoserica Brenske, 1902, syn. n.); Maladera formosae (Brenske, 1898) (= Autoserica castanea Arrow, 1913, syn. n.; = Serica korgei Petrovitz, 1967, syn. n.); Maladera motschulskyi (Brenske, 1897) (= Autoserica furcillata Brenske, 1897, syn. n.; Serica schoenfeldti Murayama, 1937, syn. n.); Maladera pallida (Burmeister, 1855) comb. n. (= Maladera ludipennis Miyake, Yamaguchi Aoki 2002, syn. n.); Maladera renardi (Ballion, 1870) (= Serica delicta Brenske, 1897, syn. n.); Maladera secreta (Brenske, 1897) (= Autoserica cruralis Frey, 1972, syn. n.); Maladera verticalis (Fairmaire, 1888) (= Autoserica hiekei Frey, 1972, syn. n.); Maladera futschauana (Brenske, 1897) (= Autoserica atavana Brenske, 1902, syn. n.; = Autoserica montivaga Moser, 1915, syn. n.); Maladera aureola (Murayama, 1938) (= Maladera liotibia Nomura, 1974, syn. n.); Maladera brunnescens (Frey, 1972) comb. n., Maladera exima (Arrow, 1946) comb. n., Maladera gansuensis (Miyake Yamaya, 2001) comb. n., Maladera nigrobrunnea (Moser, 1926) comb. n., Maladera orientalis (Motschulsky, 1858) (= Serica salebrosa Brenske, 1897, syn. n.; =Autoserica davidis Brenske, 1898, syn. n.; = Serica mirabilis Brenske, 1894, syn. n.), Maladera punctulata (Frey, 1972) comb. n., Maladera rotunda (Arrow, 1946) comb. n., Maladera serripes (Moser, 1915) comb. n., Maladera senta (Brenske, 1897) (= Autoserica subspinosa Brenske, 1898, syn n.); Maladera spissigrada (Brenske, 1897) (= Serica nakayamai Murayama, 1938, syn. n.); Maladera tibialis (Brenske, 1898) comb. n. The lectotypes of the following species were designated: Autoserica furcillata Brenske, 1897, A. cariniceps Moser, 1915, A. diversipes Moser, 1915, A. flammea Brenske, 1898, A. fuscipes Moser, 1915, A. gibbiventris Brenske, 1897, A. hongkongica Brenske, 1898, A. obscurata Moser, 1915, A. piceola Moser, 1915, Serica delicta Brenske, 1897, S. exigua Brenske, 1894, S. nigrobrunnea Moser, 1926, S. orientalis Motschulsky, 1858, S. pallida Burmeister, 1855, S. salebrosa Brenske, 1897, and S. sibirica Brenske, 1897. Keys to the subgenera and species groups of Maladera, as well as a key to the species within each species-group are provided. Furthermore, we provide maps of the species distribution, as well as illustrations of the habitus and male genitalia.

Recognizing that social functioning and mental health are linked to social participation and employment outcomes, this pilot study examined the preliminary outcomes of an eight-session, work-related social skills training program designed for young adults with high-functioning autism (HFASD). Results indicate statistically significant improvements in social cognition, social function, and social confidence. Furthermore, participants (n = 26) reported statistically significant reductions in anxiety, and a trend toward lessening depressive symptoms. These results suggest that: (1) social skills training is suitable for individuals with HFASD and clinically-significant levels of anxiety and/or depression, and (2) bolstered social functioning may have broader, cyclical impacts on social confidence, psychological wellness, and social and vocational participation in this population.

An increase in measles cases worldwide, with outbreaks, has been registered in the last few years, despite the availability of a safe and highly efficacious vaccine. In addition to an inadequate vaccination coverage, even in high-income European countries studies proved that some vaccinated people were also found seronegative years after vaccination, thus increasing the number of people susceptible to measles infection. In this study, we evaluated the immunization status and the seroprevalence of measles antibodies among 1092 healthy adults, either vaccinated or naturally infected, in order to investigate the persistence of anti-measles IgG. Among subjects who received two doses of measles vaccine, the neutralizing antibody titer tended to decline over time. In addition, data collected from a neutralization assay performed on 110 healthy vaccinated subjects suggested an inverse correlation between neutralizing antibody titers and the time elapsed between the two vaccinations, with a significant decline in the neutralizing titer when the interval between the two doses was ≥11 years. On the basis of these results, monitoring the serological status of the population 10-12 years after vaccination could be important both to limit the number of people who are potentially susceptible to measles, despite the high efficacy of MMR vaccine, and to recommend a booster vaccine for the seronegatives.

Background: While respiratory muscle strength is recognized to decline with aging process, the relationship between sarcopenia and pulmonary function remains to be studied. The present study was undertaken to provide a better insight into the comprehension of the relationship between pulmonary function and muscle function (strength and physical performance) using an unselected sample of subjects assessed during the Longevity Check-up 7+ project., Methods: Look-up 7+ is an ongoing cross-sectional survey started in June 2015 and conducted in unconventional settings (i.e. exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns) across Italy. Candidate participants are eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years of age and provide written informed consent. Muscle strength was assessed by handgrip strength test, and physical performance was evaluated by chair stand test. Spirometer analysis was performed using the AirSmart system, and the largest forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) values were collected., Results: The mean age of 925 subjects participating in the Longevity check-7+ surveys and receiving the spirometer evaluation was 55.6 years (range from 18 to 98 years), and 501 (54%) were women. Overall, both in male and female participants, FVC, FEV1 and PEF positively correlated with handgrip strength and chair stand tests. The receiver operator characteristic curve analysis revealed that the areas under the curves for FVC, FEV1, and PEF were 0.79, 0.80 and 0.80, respectively., Conclusions: The results clearly show that pulmonary function was positively associated with handgrip strength and chair stand tests. Based on this observation, muscle strength, physical performance, and pulmonary function should be recommended as the method of choice for the early detection of individuals at risk of probable sarcopenia and at the same time to better characterized the severity of sarcopenia status., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Accurate delimitation of species is crucial for a stable taxonomy, which provides the foundation for the study of evolutionary biology, ecology, and essentially all biological disciplines. Several approaches toward impartial and repeatable taxonomic practices are available but all existing methods have potentially unacceptable shortcomings. In particular, problems can arise when the underlying model assumptions are violated, for instance, in the presence of reduced gene flow. This is observed in the context of sex-biased dispersal, which is a common but underappreciated feature in many groups of organisms. Previously, simulations have indicated that sex-biased dispersal may lead to erroneous estimations of the true species numbers. However, this phenomenon has never been examined using empirical data. We evaluate the bias introduced by extreme female philopatry on a range of de novo [GMYC, PTP, ABGD, statistical parsimony, trinomial distribution of triplets model (tr2)] and validation (STACEY, iBPP) approaches to species delimitation in the scarab beetle genus Pachypus. Since female philopatry exhibited in this genus in particular can affect mitochondrial gene flow, we compared the results from analyses of single loci, mitochondrial loci, nuclear loci and combined data, as well as the performance of morphometric data as a secondary data source in a fully integrative Bayesian framework. Large overestimation of species numbers was observed across all analyses of combined and mitochondrial DNA data sets, suggesting specimens from nearly every sampling location as separate species. The use of nuclear data resulted in more reasonable estimations of species boundaries, which were largely supported by morphometrics of linear measurements, while geometric morphometrics of body outlines resulted in stronger splitting. Simulations of population divergence with migration, corresponding to the biology of Pachypus, showed that female philopatry strongly increases reciprocal monophyly of mitochondrial markers and may substantially contribute to over-splitting in species delimitation. Robust results recovered using nuclear DNA and morphological data nevertheless enabled us to reach novel conclusions about species boundaries in Pachypus. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial DNA will be less suited to species delimitation in many cases, in particular in the presence of sex-biased dispersal., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In this monograph on the Indochinese species of Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 all species distributed in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and mainland Malaysia are covered as well as those of the Indian province Mizoram. From this revision, the following new combinations result: Tetrasericagressitti (Frey, 1972), comb. n. , T.laotica (Frey, 1972), comb. n. , T.satura (Brenske, 1898), comb. n. , T.sejugata (Brenske, 1898), comb. n. , T.siantarensis (Moser, 1922), comb. n. , T.spinicrus (Frey, 1972), comb. n. , T.vietnamensis (Frey, 1969), comb. n. , and T.wapiensis (Frey, 1972), comb. n. Two new synonyms were found: Tetrasericamidoriae Kobayashi, 2017 ( syn. n .) = T.laotica (Frey, 1972); T.graciliforceps Liu et al. 2014 ( syn. n. ) = T.satura (Brenske, 1898). The lectotypes of Tetrasericagestroi (Brenske, 1898), T.miniatula (Moser, 1915), and T.siantarensis (Moser, 1922) are designated. 116 Tetraserica species were recorded from Indochina, among which 88 new species are described: Tetrasericaallochangshouensis sp. n. , T.allomengeana sp. n. , T.allosejugata sp. n. , T.angkorthomensis sp. n. , T.angkorwatensis sp. n. , T.appendiculata sp. n. , T.auriculata sp. n. , T.bachmaensis sp. n. , T.banhuaipoensis sp. n. , T.bansanpakiana sp. n. , T.bolavensensis sp. n. , T.breviforceps sp. n. , T.cattienensis sp. n. , T.champassakana sp. n. , T.constanti sp. n. , T.cucphongensis sp. n. , T.curviforceps sp. n. , T.desalvazzai sp. n. , T.doiphukhaensis sp. n. , T.doipuiensis sp. n. , T.doisuthepensis sp. n. , T.dongnaiensis sp. n. , T.falciforceps sp. n. , T.falciformis sp. n. , T.feresiantarensis sp. n. , T.filiforceps sp. n. , T.fulleri sp. n. , T.phukradungensis sp. n. , T.geiserae sp. n. , T.giulianae sp. n. , T.infida sp. n. , T.jakli sp. n. , T.khaosoidaoensis sp. n. , T.kiriromensis sp. n. , T.koi sp. n. , T.kollae sp. n. , T.konchurangensis sp. n. , T.kontumensis sp. n. , T.loeiensis sp. n. , T.lucai sp. n. , T.microfurcata sp. n. , T.microspinosa sp. n. , T.multiangulata sp. n. , T.nahaeoensis sp. n. , T.nakaiensis sp. n. , T.namnaoensis sp. n. , T.neouncinata sp. n. , T.nonglomensis sp. n. , T.nussi sp. n. , T.olegi sp. n. , T.pahinngamensis sp. n. , T.pailinensis sp. n. , T.parasetuliforceps sp. n. , T.paratonkinensis sp. n. , T.petrpacholatkoi sp. n. , T.phatoensis sp. n. , T.phoupaneensis sp. n. , T.pluriuncinata sp. n. , T.pseudoliangheensis sp. n. , T.pseudoruiliensis sp. n. , T.pseudouncinata sp. n. , T.quadriforceps sp. n. , T.quadrifurcata sp. n. , T.rihai sp. n. , T.romae sp. n. , T.rubrithorax sp. n. , T.sapana sp. n. , T.semidamadiensis sp. n. , T.semipingjiangensis sp. n. , T.semiruiliensis sp. n. , T.semishanensis sp. n. , T.setuliforceps sp. n. , T.shanensis sp. n. , T.smetsi sp. n. , T.margheritae sp. n. , T.soppongana sp. n. , T.spanglerorum sp. n. , T.spinotibialis sp. n. , T.subrotundata sp. n. , T.tanahrataensis sp. n. , T.thainguyensis sp. n. , T.trilobiforceps sp. n. , T.ululalatensis sp. n. , T.umphangensis sp. n. , T.vari sp. n. , T.veliformis sp. n. , T.vientianeensis sp. n. , and T.xiengkhouangensis sp. n. A key to the Indochinese Tetraserica species is given and distributions as well as the habitus and male genitalia of all species are illustrated.

The current paper presents new locality records, including first state records for Mizoram, of 92 species of Sericini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the Indian subcontinent. Eight new species are described herein: Maladera alloservitrita sp. n. , M. kolasibensis sp. n. , Serica (s. str.) basantapurensis M. mizoramensis , S. (s. str.) mahakaliensis sp. n. , S. (s. str.) therathumensis Neoserica radhanagariensis , and S. (s. str.) zianii sp. n. , Serica (s. str.) basantapurensis sp. n. , S. (s. str.) mahakaliensis sp. n. , S. (s. str.) therathumensis sp. n. , and S. (s. str.) zianii sp. n.

The species of the genera Nipponoserica Nomura, 1973 and Paraserica Reitter, 1896 from China are revised. The following eight new species are described from China: Paraserica camillerii Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , P. mupuensis Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , P. wangi Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , Nipponoserica alloshanghaiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , N. anjiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , N. jiankouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , N. henanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. , and N. sericanioides Ahrens, Fabrizi, & Liu, sp. n. A key to the species of the genera examined here and maps of the species distribution are provided. Habitus and male genitalia are illustrated.

Megadiverse insect groups present special difficulties for biogeographers because poor classification, incomplete knowledge of taxonomy, and many undescribed species can introduce a priori sampling bias to any analysis. The historical biogeography of Sericini, a tribe of melolonthine scarabs comprising about 4000 species, was investigated using the most comprehensive and time-calibrated molecular phylogeny available today. Problems arising through nomenclatural confusion were overcome by extensive sampling (665 species) from all major lineages of the tribe. A West Gondwanan origin of Sericini (c. 112 Ma) was reconstructed using maximum parsimony, maximum-likelihood and model-based ancestral area estimation. Vicariance in the tribe's earliest history separated Neotropical and Old World Sericini, whereas subsequent lower Cretaceous biogeography of the tribe was characterized by repeated migrations out of Africa, resulting in the colonization of Eurasia and Madagascar. North America was colonized from Asia during the Cenozoic and a lineage of "Modern Sericini" reinvaded Africa. Diversification dynamics revealed three independent shifts to increased speciation rates: in African ant-adapted Trochalus, Oriental Tetraserica, and Asian and African Sericina. Southern Africa is proposed as both cradle and refuge of Sericini. This area has retained many old lineages that portray the evolution of the African Sericini fauna as a series of taxon pulses., (© The Willi Hennig Society 2016.)