Bee fear responses are mediated by dopamine and influence cognition.

Predatory threats, even when they do not involve direct consumption (non-consumptive effects, NCEs), can profoundly influence the physiology and behaviour of prey. For example, honeybees that encounter hornet predators show responses similar to fear. However, the physiological mechanisms that are connected with this fear-like response and their effects on bee cognition and olfaction remain largely unknown.

Efficacy of perceptual learning in low vision: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Visual perceptual learning (PL) shows promise for enhancing visual functions in individuals with visual impairment.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PL in improving visual function.

Study Eligibility: Eligible studies were those examining the efficacy of PL in individuals with low vision.

SPEctacle Correction for the TReatment of Amblyopia (SPECTRA): study protocol for a prospective non-randomised interventional trial in adults with anisometropic/mixed mechanism amblyopia.

Introduction: Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental vision disorder typically affecting one eye, resulting in compromised binocular function. While evidence-based treatments exist for children, there are no widely accepted treatments for adults. This trial aims to assess the efficacy of appropriate optical treatment in improving vision and visual functions in adults with amblyopia.

A Method for Studying Social Signal Learning of the Waggle Dance in Honey Bees.

Honey bees use a complex form of spatial referential communication. Their waggle dance communicates to nestmates the direction, distance, and quality of a resource by encoding celestial cues, retinal optic flow, and relative food value into motion and sound within the nest. This protocol was developed to investigate the potential for social learning of this waggle dance.

An inhibitory signal associated with danger reduces honeybee dopamine levels.

Positive and negative experiences can alter animal brain dopamine levels. When first arriving at a rewarding food source or beginning to waggle dance and recruit nestmates to food, honeybees have increased brain dopamine levels, indicating a desire for food. We provide the first evidence that an inhibitory signal, the stop signal, which counters waggle dancing and is triggered by negative events at the food source, can decrease head dopamine levels and dancing, independent of the dancer having any negative experiences.

Defining honeybee subspecies in an evolutionary context warrants strategized conservation.

Despite the urgent need for conservation consideration, strategic action plans for the preservation of the Asian honeybee, Fabricius, 1793, remain lacking. Both the convergent and divergent adaptations of this widespread insect have led to confusing phenotypical traits and inconsistent infraspecific taxonomy. Unclear subspecies boundaries pose a significant challenge to honeybee conservation efforts, as it is difficult to effectively prioritize conservation targets without a clear understanding of subspecies identities.

Can visual cortex non-invasive brain stimulation improve normal visual function? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Multiple studies have explored the use of visual cortex non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) to enhance visual function. These studies vary in sample size, outcome measures, and methodology. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess the effects of NIBS on visual functions in human participants with normal vision.

Social signal learning of the waggle dance in honey bees.

Honey bees use a complex form of spatial referential communication. Their "waggle dance" communicates the direction, distance, and quality of a resource to nestmates by encoding celestial cues, retinal optic flow, and relative food value into motion and sound within the nest. We show that correct waggle dancing requires social learning.

Spatial Methods for Inferring Extremes in Dengue Outbreak Risk in Singapore.

Dengue is a major vector-borne disease worldwide. Here, we examined the spatial distribution of extreme weekly dengue outbreak risk in Singapore from 2007 to 2020. We divided Singapore into equal-sized hexagons with a circumradius of 165 m and obtained the weekly number of dengue cases and the surface characteristics of each hexagon.

Esthetic Evaluation of Anterior Implant-Supported Single Crowns: A Comparison Between Patients and Dentists.

Purpose: To compare the esthetic outcomes of anterior implant-supported single crowns as evaluated by patients and clinicians of different specialties.

Materials And Methods: A total of 133 patients with 138 implant-supported crowns were recalled from the National Dental Centre Singapore Implant Registry to rate the esthetic outcomes of their restorations using a visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaire. Patients with crowns in the maxillary or mandibular canine-to-canine region with a contralateral natural tooth and minimum time in function of 6 months were recruited.

Strategies to Mitigate Establishment under the Incompatible Insect Technique.

The Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) strategy involves the release of male mosquitoes infected with the bacterium . Regular releases of male -infected mosquitoes can lead to the suppression of mosquito populations, thereby reducing the risk of transmission of vector-borne diseases such as dengue. However, due to imperfect sex-sorting under IIT, fertile -infected female mosquitoes may potentially be unintentionally released into the environment, which may result in replacement and failure to suppress the mosquito populations.

Prevalence and risk factors of erosive tooth wear among young adults in the Singapore military.

Objectives: Erosive tooth wear (ETW) is defined as the irreversible chemo-mechanical loss of dental hard tissues without plaque or bacteria and has been a growing phenomenon in the general population worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ETW and the associated risk factors among young military personnel in Singapore.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of a questionnaire and clinical examination of military personnel between 18 and 25 years.

Modelling the Impact of Mass Testing to Transition from Pandemic Mitigation to Endemic COVID-19.

As countries transition from pandemic mitigation to endemic COVID-19, mass testing may blunt the impact on the healthcare system of the liminal wave. We used GeoDEMOS-R, an agent-based model of Singapore's population with demographic distributions and vaccination status. A 250-day COVID-19 Delta variant model was run at varying maximal rapid antigen test sensitivities and frequencies.

Identification of giant hornet Vespa mandarinia queen sex pheromone components.

The Vespidae is a diverse family of wasps and hornets that are formidable predators of insects, including social bees, and includes a number of invasive species. Recently, the world's largest hornet, Vespa mandarinia Smith (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), which occurs naturally in the Indomalayan region, has been found in Canada and the United States. Some simulations indicate that it could rapidly spread throughout Washington and Oregon in the western US, as well as some eastern parts of the country, threaten native bees and honeybees, and harm bee-pollinated crop production worth over $100 million annually.

Testing strategies to contain COVID-19 in migrant worker dormitories.

Introduction: COVID-19 transmission within overcrowded migrant worker dormitories is an ongoing global issue. Many countries have implemented extensive control measures to prevent the entire migrant worker population from becoming infected. Here, we explore case count outcomes when utilizing lockdown and testing under different testing measures and transmissibility settings.

Fine-scale estimation of effective reproduction numbers for dengue surveillance.

The effective reproduction number Rt is an epidemiological quantity that provides an instantaneous measure of transmission potential of an infectious disease. While dengue is an increasingly important vector-borne disease, few have used Rt as a measure to inform public health operations and policy for dengue. This study demonstrates the utility of Rt for real time dengue surveillance.

Higher toxin tolerance to triptolide, a terpenoid foraged by a sympatric honeybee.

The thunder god vine, Tripterygium hypoglaucum, is a toxic nectar plant distributed across China. A terpenoid, called triptolide (TRP), found in nectar can impair honeybees' foraging responses, dance communication, and olfactory learning. In the present study, we tested the tolerances of the native honeybee Apis cerana and the introduced honeybee A.

Introducing Progressive Strength Training Program in Singapore's Elder Care Settings.

The use of progressive strength training among the elderly has become an accepted part of evidence-based practice for preventive and rehabilitative care. Exercise is undoubtedly one of the pillars for resilient aging. While research has shown impressive outcomes from strength training, the challenge remains to get elderly persons to exercise.

Economic impact of dengue in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 and the cost-effectiveness of Wolbachia interventions.

The release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is a promising disease intervention strategy that aims to control dengue and other arboviral infections. While early field trials and modelling studies suggest promising epidemiological and entomological outcomes, the overall cost effectiveness of the technology is not well studied in a resource rich setting nor under the suppression approach that aims to suppress the wild-type mosquito population through the release of Wolbachia-infected males. We used economical and epidemiological data from 2010 to 2020 to first ascertain the economic and health costs of dengue in Singapore, a high income nation where dengue is hyper-endemic.

Effectiveness of a community-delivered pneumatic machine resistance training programme (Gym Tonic) for older adults at neighbourhood senior centres - a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Resistance training with pneumatic machines attenuates the age-associated loss in muscle strength and function in older adults. However, effectiveness of scaled-up pneumatic machine resistance training in the community is not known. We evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-site community-delivered 12-week pneumatic machine resistance programme (Gym Tonic (GT)) on muscle strength and physical function in older adults.

Hyperendemicity associated with increased dengue burden.

Over 105 million dengue infections are estimated to occur annually. Understanding the disease dynamics of dengue is often difficult due to multiple strains circulating within a population. Interactions between dengue serotype dynamics may result in complex cross-immunity dynamics at the population level and create difficulties in terms of formulating intervention strategies for the disease.