Floral traits and reproduction of Avicennia schaueriana Moldenke (Acanthaceae): a generalist pollination system in the Lamiales

Pollination systems may vary in their degree of specialization from generalist to specialist and this is associated with the frequency and efficiency of pollinators. Self‐compatibility and a generalist pollination system appear to be adaptations that enhance the ability for colonizing new areas, which is typical of mangrove species. Avicennia schaueriana is a western mangrove species included in Acanthaceae, Lamiales, an order known to have specialized pollination. We aimed to describe the floral morphology and analyze the pollination and reproductive systems of A. schaueriana in a mangrove area on the northern coast of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, to analyze the possible adaptations of this species to the environment. Avicennia schaueriana is self‐compatible; however, pollination activity is essential because there is no spontaneous formation of fruit. Reproductive efficacy was high, indicating pollinator efficiency. Some floral attributes of A. schaueriana suggest specialization; however, the broad spectrum of pollinators observed suggests that it has a generalist pollination system. The way in which pollinators interact with flowers and the environmental conditions may have exerted a selective force on the floral attributes of A. schaueriana, characterizing an adaptive generalized pollination system, which is somewhat specialized.     

Delay and failure in treatment seeking after first onset of mental disorders in the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Data are presented on patterns of failure and delay in making initial treatment contact after first onset of a mental disorder in 15 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO)''s World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Representative face-to-face household surveys were conducted among 76,012 respondents aged 18 and older in Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, People''s Republic of China (Beijing and Shanghai), Spain, and the United States. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess lifetime DSM-IV anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Ages of onset for individual disorders and ages of first treatment contact for each disorder were used to calculate the extent of failure and delay in initial help seeking. The proportion of lifetime cases making treatment contact in the year of disorder onset ranged from 0.8 to 36.4% for anxiety disorders, from 6.0 to 52.1% for mood disorders, and from 0.9 to 18.6% for substance use disorders. By 50 years, the proportion of lifetime cases making treatment contact ranged from 15.2 to 95.0% for anxiety disorders, from 7.9 to 98.6% for mood disorders, and from 19.8 to 86.1% for substance use disorders. Median delays among cases eventually making contact ranged from 3.0 to 30.0 years for anxiety disorders, from 1.0 to 14.0 years for mood disorders, and from 6.0 to 18.0 years for substance use disorders. Failure and delays in treatment seeking were generally greater in developing countries, older cohorts, men, and cases with earlier ages of onset. These results show that failure and delays in initial help seeking are pervasive problems worldwide. Interventions to ensure prompt initial treatment contacts are needed to reduce the global burdens and hazards of untreated mental disorders.     

New records of marine Tardigrada in the Mediterranean Sea

Meiofauna from Chafarinas archipelago (western Mediterranean, N. Africa) were studied, and marine Tardigrada were identified to species level. A total of 15 species, belonging to families Stygarctidae, Halechiniscidac (Subfamilies Halechiniscinae, Florarctinae, Styraconyxinae and Tanarctinae), Batillipedidae, and Echiniscoididae, were found for the first time from the Alboran Sea and southwestern Mediterranean area. Four species and one subspecies are new records for the Mediterranean Sea: I'ioractus acer, F. asper, P. stellatus, Actinarctus doryphorus and Echiniscoides sigismundi hispaniensis. The male of Floractus stellatus , previously unknown to science, is described. Many species have been recorded for the first time in different sedimentary environments, such as midlittoral pools, very shallow gravels, pools in a mixed rocky environment or between Posidonia oceanica meadows, 'Amphioxus' gravels, and coastal detritic.     

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR RESEARCH ETHICS WORKSHOPS FOR COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To help ensure the ethical conduct of research, many have recommended educational efforts in research ethics to investigators and members of research ethics committees (RECs). One type of education activity involves multi‐day workshops in research ethics. To be effective, such workshops should contain the appropriate content and teaching techniques geared towards the learning styles of the targeted audiences. To ensure consistency in content and quality, we describe the development of a curriculum guide, core competencies and associated learning objectives and activities to help educators organize research ethics workshops in their respective institutions. The curriculum guide is divided into modular units to enable planners to develop workshops of different lengths and choose content materials that match the needs, abilities, and prior experiences of the target audiences. The content material in the curriculum guide is relevant for audiences in the Middle East, because individuals from the Middle East who participated in a Certificate Program in research ethics selected and developed the training materials (e.g., articles, powerpoint slides, case studies, protocols). Also, many of the activities incorporate active‐learning methods, consisting of group work activities analyzing case studies and reviewing protocols. The development of such a workshop training curriculum guide represents a sustainable educational resource to enhance research ethics capacity in the Middle East.