Introduction:
Amalgam use has recently been phased down, and the potential for a phase-out is being investigated.
Objectives:
The study aimed to identify knowledge of the phase-down and opinions of a ...potential phase-out of amalgam by UK primary care clinicians and assess their confidence in using different materials in different situations.
Methods:
An anonymized, prepiloted cross-sectional e-survey was used to assess primary care clinicians’ knowledge and opinions of the amalgam phase-down and potential phase-out and their confidence in using amalgam and the alternatives in different situations. In total, 11,902 invitations were distributed through British dentist and therapist associations. Prior hypotheses were tested alongside descriptive statistics.
Results:
Response rate was 13% (n = 1,513). Knowledge of the amalgam phase-down was low, with just 3% clinicians correctly identifying all patient groups in whom amalgam use should be avoided in the United Kingdom. Postgraduate education on posterior composite placement was high (88%), but a large majority had personal and patient-centered concerns over the suitability of the alternatives and lacked confidence when placing composite in comparison to amalgam in difficult situations (P < 0.0001). Logistic regressions revealed that the best predictors of high confidence in placing mesio-occluso-distal composites and composites in difficult situations were being a private general dentist or being primarily a composite user.
Conclusion:
Primary care clinicians have major personal and patient-centered concerns regarding the amalgam phase-down (of which they have limited knowledge) and potential phase-out. Many lack confidence in using the alternative, composite, to restore posterior teeth in difficult situations, whereas confidence in using amalgam in similar situations is high. Effective education of clinicians and understanding patients’ needs, alongside policy changes, are required to enable a successful amalgam phase-down and potential phase-out.
Knowledge Transfer Statement:
This study shows that UK primary care clinicians are worried about the phase-down of amalgam for themselves and their patients. Many lack confidence in the alternative, composite, when used in difficult situations, which is in stark contrast to amalgam. Knowledge of the phase-down is limited. There is a need for more effective education of clinicians, an understanding of patients’ values, and policy changes to ensure the success of the phase-down and potential phase-out of amalgam.
Animal 'personality', defined as repeatable inter-individual differences in behaviour, is a concept in biology that faces intense controversy. Critics argue that the field is riddled with ...terminological and methodological inconsistencies and lacks a sound theoretical framework. Nevertheless, experimental biologists are increasingly studying individual differences in physiology and relating these to differences in behaviour, which can lead to fascinating insights. We encourage this trend, and in this Commentary we highlight some of the benefits of estimating variation in (and covariation among) phenotypic traits at the inter- and intra-individual levels. We focus on behaviour while drawing parallels with physiological and performance-related traits. First, we outline some of the confusion surrounding the terminology used to describe repeatable inter-individual differences in behaviour. Second, we argue that acknowledging individual behavioural differences can help researchers avoid sampling and experimental bias, increase explanatory power and, ultimately, understand how selection acts on physiological traits. Third, we summarize the latest methods to collect, analyse and present data on individual trait variation. We note that, while measuring the repeatability of phenotypic traits is informative in its own right, it is only the first step towards understanding how natural selection and genetic architecture shape intra-specific variation in complex, labile traits. Thus, understanding how and why behavioural traits evolve requires linking repeatable inter-individual behavioural differences with core aspects of physiology (e.g. neurophysiology, endocrinology, energy metabolism) and evolutionary biology (e.g. selection gradients, heritability).
Sediment barriers are used on construction sites to protect downstream waterbodies from the impacts of sediment-laden stormwater runoff. Although ubiquitous on construction sites, many sediment ...barrier practices lack performance-based testing to determine effectiveness and treatment mechanisms, with previous evaluations being limited to conditions local to the Southeastern U.S., with conditions in other regions remaining untested. Testing was conducted to determine the effectiveness of woven silt fence barriers and provide structural improvements to common installation methods. Testing was conducted using a large-scale sediment barrier testing apparatus at the Auburn University—Stormwater Research Facility. The results from testing indicate that Nebraska DOT standard silt fence installations can be improved to reduce the risk of structural failures such as undermining, complete installation failure, slow dewatering, and overtopping. To improve structural performance, four modifications (a 15.2 cm 6 in. offset trench, wooden posts, a dewatering board with an overflow weir, and a dewatering board with an overflow weir with adjusted post spacing) were tested. On average, 83% of introduced sediment was retained behind the tested barriers. The water quality results across the testing of standard and modified installations indicated that stormwater treatment was due to sedimentation within the impoundment formed by silt fence installations and not filtration through geotextile fabric.
Abstract
Open data facilitate reproducibility and accelerate scientific discovery but are hindered by perceptions that researchers bear costs and gain few benefits from publicly sharing their data, ...with limited empirical evidence to the contrary. We surveyed 140 faculty members working in ecology and evolution across Canada's top 20 ranked universities and found that more researchers report benefits (47.9%) and neutral outcomes (43.6%) than costs (21.4%) from openly sharing data. The benefits were independent of career stage and gender, but men and early career researchers were more likely to report costs. We outline mechanisms proposed by the study participants to reduce the individual costs and increase the benefits of open data for faculty members.
The relationships among animal form, function and performance are complex, and vary across environments. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify morphological and/or physiological traits ...responsible for enhancing performance in a given habitat. In fishes, differences in swimming performance across water flow gradients are related to morphological variation among and within species. However, physiological traits related to performance have been less well studied. We experimentally reared juvenile damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, under different water flow regimes to test 1) whether aspects of swimming physiology and morphology show plastic responses to water flow, 2) whether trait divergence correlates with swimming performance and 3) whether flow environment relates to performance differences observed in wild fish. We found that maximum metabolic rate, aerobic scope and blood haematocrit were higher in wave-reared fish compared to fish reared in low water flow. However, pectoral fin shape, which tends to correlate with sustained swimming performance, did not differ between rearing treatments or collection sites. Maximum metabolic rate was the best overall predictor of individual swimming performance; fin shape and fish total length were 3.3 and 3.7 times less likely than maximum metabolic rate to explain differences in critical swimming speed. Performance differences induced in fish reared in different flow environments were less pronounced than in wild fish but similar in direction. Our results suggest that exposure to water motion induces plastic physiological changes which enhance swimming performance in A. polyacanthus. Thus, functional relationships between fish morphology and performance across flow habitats should also consider differences in physiology.
Avoiding wasted research resources in conservation science Buxton, Rachel T.; Nyboer, Elizabeth A.; Pigeon, Karine E. ...
Conservation science and practice,
February 2021, 2021-02-00, 20210201, 2021-02-01, Letnik:
3, Številka:
2
Journal Article
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Scientific evidence is fundamental for guiding effective conservation action to curb biodiversity loss. Yet, research resources in conservation are often wasted due to biased allocation of research ...effort, irrelevant or low‐priority questions, flawed studies, inaccessible research outputs, and biased or poor‐quality reporting. We outline a striking example of wasted research resources, highlight a powerful case of data rescue/reuse, and discuss an exemplary model of evidence‐informed conservation. We suggest that funding agencies, research institutions, NGOs, publishers, and researchers are part of the problem and solutions, and outline recommendations to curb the waste of research resources, including knowledge co‐creation and open science practices.
Ecosurveillance has proliferated in recent years, generating vast amounts of data on the natural environment. Ecosurveillance also has significant potential impacts on humans; therefore, researchers ...and policymakers need new conceptual tools to anticipate and mitigate any negative effects.
Surveillance studies is an interdisciplinary field in the social sciences, providing a number of insights and practical lessons for predicting and managing the complex impacts (positive and negative, intended and unintended) of surveillance tools and practices.
We draw on surveillance studies literature to propose two tools to guide designers and practitioners of ecosurveillance—a ‘red flag checklist’ to anticipate potential problems, and a ‘considerations guide’ to inform design decisions across a wide range of ecosurveillance systems. These tools will help ensure that the coming era of ecosurveillance is guided by responsible and ethical practices towards wildlife and humans alike, while also realizing the potential of these technologies for improving environmental outcomes.
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Evaluating Science’s open-data policy Roche, Dominique G.
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
08/2017, Letnik:
357, Številka:
6352
Journal Article
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