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Increasingly, studies compare risk and protective factors for involvement in violent and nonviolent terrorist behaviors. This exploratory study investigates whether this distinction is sufficient, or whether it should be disaggregated further into more granular terrorist roles and behaviors. Using data on 404 referrals to a UK countering violent extremism Prevent hub specializing in mental health and associated needs, we compare violent and nonviolent referrals, and then more specific behaviors (vulnerability, proactive extremism, foreign fighting, and violence planning). Bivariate and multivariate analyses show there is value in disaggregating beyond the binary violence versus nonviolence distinction, as more (and more detailed) relationships emerged when using the disaggregated set of behaviors. While gender did not differentiate violent and nonviolent referrals, women were more likely to be referred for radicalization vulnerability or potential foreign fighting. Extreme right-wing and extreme Islamist referrals were no more or less violent overall, but Islamist referrals were disproportionately referred for both the most and least violent behaviors. Personality and developmental disorders were associated with violence, and disaggregated behaviors provided detailed insight into the drivers of these associations. These exploratory findings, while interesting, likely do not generalize beyond our specific sample. Instead, this study's value lies in demonstrating the utility for both research and, eventually, practice of disaggregating beyond violence and nonviolence. The results demonstrate clear operational implications for threat assessment in the need to include a more refined set of risk factors to aid in assessing risk of more relevant outcomes than terrorist involvement overall., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Forensic Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

Canopy crane-based studies have been carried out to quantify the sets of arthropods that visit the flowers of a suite of common species of trees, palms and vines within the Cape Tribulation study area. Those Orders that increase significantly in abundance between the budding and flowering stages of inflorescences are identified, and multivariate and univariate comparisons have been made first, among coflowering plant species and second, at different seasons for the same plant species. The analysis has been repeated for both the profile of higher arthropod taxa in the samples and for the relative abundances of families of Coleoptera: one of the Orders most frequently suggested as critical in the pollination biology of Australian rainforests. In all cases significant differences are identified among species confirming that the visitor profile is a plant species-specific phenomenon. Profiles within plant species at different times also differed. At the ordinal level significant differences in visitor profiles associated with coflowering plants, were observed, variously, in Thysanoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Within the Coleoptera significant differences occurred in relative abundances of Scarabaeidae, Phalacridae, Latridiidae and Curculionidae. Seasonal differences in visitation to Syzygium gustavioides, Normanbya normanbyi and Calamus radicalis, reflected differences in Diptera, Lepidoptera, Homoptera, Thysanoptera, Hymenoptera and Araneida. Within the Coleoptera, the Elateridae and Curculionidae varied significantly between occasions. The various forms of flower/arthropod interaction that may be represented in these results are discussed, as are the implications for pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the interventions for change in oral health behaviour that are effective in improving oral health behaviours in 8 to 18-year-old children during oral health promotion. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute framework of evidence synthesis for conducting a scoping review was implemented for the methodology. Included studies related to the objective, measured clinical or non-clinical outcomes, were in English, 2011–2023, and were experimental, observational or reviews. PUBMED, Science-Direct, Scopus and Sabinet were systematically searched with predetermined search strings. Studies were selected by appraisal of the title, abstract and full text. Data were extracted using a standardised template and the key questions were addressed via a qualitative analysis. Results: Searches yielded 407 articles from electronic databases. Of these, 290 articles were excluded, and 47 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility, with 23 studies and two systematic reviews finalised for inclusion. In addition, a PEARL search was conducted from the reference lists of other studies. Most studies (91.3%) focused on educating children directly; 8.7% indirectly influenced parents, guardians, and teachers. Interventions focused largely on traditional oral health education presented in diverse forms and via different platforms. Studies differentiated clinical outcomes (indices) from non-clinical outcomes (knowledge, behaviour). All included RCTs were of different quality regarding selection, performance and detection bias. But all studies indicated a low risk of bias in attrition and Reporting bias. Seventeen of the 25 studies (68%) were not based on any behaviour change theory. Conclusions: Oral health interventions based on motivational interviewing and the social cognitive theory have been shown to be to be effective. Interventions could also include practical tooth brushing activities, gamification, audio-visual components, as well as reinforcement and repetition in the longer term. Future oral health promotion in children should be designed to include these elements. There is a need for higher quality studies in this field, with future research being urged to provide detailed intervention descriptions and incorporate longer follow-up periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonogenetics is an innovative technology that integrates ultrasound with genetic editing to precisely modulate cellular activities in a non‐invasive manner. This method entails introducing and activating mechanosensitive channels on the cell membrane of specific cells using gene delivery vectors. When exposed to ultrasound, these channels can be manipulated to open or close, thereby impacting cellular functions. Sonogenetics is currently being used extensively in the treatment of various chronic diseases, including Parkinson's disease, vision restoration, and cancer therapy. This paper provides a comprehensive review of key components of sonogenetics and focuses on evaluating its prospects and potential challenges in the treatment of chronic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a redefinition of maladaptation to climate change, offering a comprehensive analysis through qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach, supported by focus group discussions. The main goal was to uncover the conceptual dimensions of the unintended and negative impacts of adaptation strategies on socio-ecological systems, particularly forests and natural resources. The findings indicate that some adaptation measures, though initially aimed at mitigating climate change effects, can paradoxically exacerbate long-term vulnerability, leading to environmental degradation and a diminished adaptive capacity of these systems. In response to these outcomes, the study offers strategic recommendations for managing maladaptation risks. These include adopting integrated adaptation management practices, fostering participatory policymaking, and leveraging local knowledge to enhance both social and ecological resilience. By highlighting the critical need to recognize maladaptation's potential, this research equips policymakers and natural resource managers with insights into the unintended consequences of adaptation efforts, enabling them to craft more effective strategies for climate resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with concurrent mental health and substance use problems are among the most socially excluded groups in our society, yet little attention has been paid to what socially excluded people see as central to promoting their social inclusion. The aim of this qualitative scoping review is to provide an overview of barriers and facilitators for social inclusion among people with concurrent mental health and substance use problems, based on first-person perspectives, to help guide future research, policies, and practice. Methods: We explored first-person perspectives on social inclusion among people with concurrent mental health and substance use problems, employing Arksey and O'Malleys framework. We searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Cinahl, and other sources for studies published between January 2000 and September 2023. We employed content analysis and followed the PRISMA checklist. Results: We included 55 articles included in our review and identified sub themes of: Intrapersonal baseline (identity, belonging), Components of social inclusion (relationships, meaningful activities, employment, economy), and Systemic failure or success (housing, public health and welfare services, the criminal justice system). Conclusion: Social inclusion is rarely studied outside the context of direct services. Our results point to knowledge gaps in addressing social inclusion in a broad, societal context; implementing gaps in services; and developing policies to assure the fundamental needs and human rights of socially excluded persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research utilized the bagging machine learning algorithm along with the Thornthwaite moisture index (TMI) to enhance the understanding of climate variability and change, with the objective of identifying the most efficient climate service pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Monthly datasets at a 0.5° resolution (1960–2020) were collected and analyzed using R 4.2.2 software and spreadsheets. The results indicate significant changes in climatic conditions in Sudan, with aridity escalation at a rate of 0.37% per year. The bagging algorithm illustrated that actual water use was mainly influenced by rainfall and runoff management, showing an inverse relationship with increasing air temperatures. Consequently, sustainable strategies focusing on runoff and temperature control, such as rainwater harvesting, agroforestry and plant breeding were identified as the most effective climate services to mitigate and adapt to climate variability in SSA. The findings suggest that runoff management (e.g., rainwater harvesting) could potentially offset up to 22% of the adverse impacts of climate variability, while temperature control strategies (e.g., agroforestry) could account for the remaining 78%. Without these interventions, climate variability will continue to pose serious challenges to food security, livelihood generations, and regional stability. The research calls for further in-depth studies on the attributions of climate variability using finer datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Professional guidelines and state Medicaid policies encourage pediatricians to provide oral health screening, anticipatory guidance, and fluoride varnish application to young patients. Because oral health activities are becoming more common in medical offices, the objective of this study was to assess pediatricians' attitudes and practices related to oral health and examine changes since 2008., Methods: As part of the 2012 Periodic Survey of Fellows, a random sample of 1638 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics was surveyed on their participation in oral health promotion activities. Univariate statistics were used to examine pediatricians' attitudes, practices, and barriers related to screening, risk assessment, counseling, and topical fluoride application among patients from birth to 3 years of age. Bivariate statistics were used to examine changes since 2008., Results: Analyses were limited to 402 pediatricians who provided preventive care (51% of all respondents). Most respondents supported providing oral health activities in medical offices, but fewer reported engaging in these activities with most patients. Significantly more respondents agreed they should apply fluoride varnish (2008, 19%; 2012, 41%), but only 7% report doing so with >75% of patients. Although significantly more respondents reported receiving oral health training, limited time, lack of training and billing remain barriers to delivering these services., Conclusions: Pediatricians continue to have widespread support for, but less direct involvement with oral health activities in clinical practice. Existing methods of training should be examined to identify methods effective at increasing pediatricians' participation in oral health activities., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective. (1) To describe an innovative program training US pediatricians to be Chapter Oral Health Advocates (COHAs). (2) To provide insight into COHAs' experiences disseminating oral health knowledge to fellow pediatricians. Patients and Methods. Interviews with 40 COHAs who responded to an email request, from a total of 64 (62% response). Transcripts were analyzed for common themes about COHA activities, facilitators, and barriers. Results. COHAs reported positive experiences at the AAP oral health training program. A subset of academic COHAs focused on legislative activity and another on resident education about oral health. Residents had an easier time adopting oral health activities while practicing pediatricians cited time constraints. COHAs provided insights into policy, barriers, and facilitators for incorporating oral health into practice. Conclusions. This report identifies factors influencing pediatricians' adoption of oral health care into practice. COHAs reported successes in training peers on integrating oral health into pediatric practice, identified opportunities and challenges to oral health implementation in primary care, and reported issues about the state of children's oral health in their communities. With ongoing support, the COHA program has a potential to improve access to preventive oral health services in the Medical Home and to increase referrals to a Dental Home.

Objective: Primary care providers need effective strategies for substance use screening and brief counseling of adolescents. We examined the effects of a new computer-facilitated screening and provider brief advice (cSBA) system., Methods: We used a quasi-experimental, asynchronous study design in which each site served as its own control. From 2005 to 2008, 12- to 18-year-olds arriving for routine care at 9 medical offices in New England (n = 2096, 58% females) and 10 in Prague, Czech Republic (n = 589, 47% females) were recruited. Patients completed measurements only during the initial treatment-as-usual study phase. We then conducted 1-hour provider training, and initiated the cSBA phase. Before seeing the provider, all cSBA participants completed a computerized screen, and then viewed screening results, scientific information, and true-life stories illustrating substance use harms. Providers received screening results and "talking points" designed to prompt 2 to 3 minutes of brief advice. We examined alcohol and cannabis use, initiation, and cessation rates over the past 90 days at 3-month follow-up, and over the past 12 months at 12-month follow-up., Results: Compared with treatment as usual, cSBA patients reported less alcohol use at follow-up in New England (3-month rates 15.5% vs 22.9%, adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.38-0.77; 12-month rates 29.3% vs 37.5%, aRRR = 0.73, 0.57-0.92), and less cannabis use in Prague (3-month rates 5.5% vs 9.8%, aRRR = 0.37, 0.17-0.77; 12-month rates 17.0% vs 28.7%, aRRR = 0.47, 0.32-0.71)., Conclusions: Computer-facilitated screening and provider brief advice appears promising for reducing substance use among adolescent primary care patients.

The mentally ill are overrepresented in the statistics of individuals killed or injured by police and it is understandable that police would seek a weapon, such as a TASER, that is less lethal than a firearm. However, it appears that use of TASERs is not without risk, especially in certain groups, including the mentally ill. The risk of injury to vulnerable people with a mental illness from TASER weapons must be weighed against the risk that escalation to lethal force may cause if a person with an acute mental illness requires restraint. When police officers are carrying out their duties under mental health legislation it is recommended that TASERs be used only when an individual is imminently likely to sustain or to cause grievous bodily harm. This article recommends changes to the Western Australian Police TASER training programs and proposes mandatory medical assessments after the use of TASER restraint.

Objective: Pediatricians have regular opportunities to perform screening dental examinations on young children and to educate families on preventive oral health. We sought to assess pediatricians' current attitudes and practices related to oral health of children 0-3 years old., Methods: A Periodic Survey of Fellows, focused on oral health in pediatricians' office settings, was sent to 1618 postresidency fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics., Results: The response rate was 68%. More than 90% of pediatricians said that they should examine their patients' teeth for caries and educate families about preventive oral health. However, in practice, only 54% of pediatricians reported examining the teeth of more than half of their 0-3-year-old patients. Four percent of pediatricians regularly apply fluoride varnish. The most common barrier to participation in oral health-related activities in their practices was lack of training, which was cited by 41%. Less than 25% of pediatricians had received oral health education in medical school, residency, or continuing education. Most pediatricians (74%) reported that availability of dentists who accept Medicaid posed a moderate to severe barrier for 0-3-year-old Medicaid-insured patients to obtain dental care., Conclusions: Pediatricians see it within their purview to educate families about preventive oral health and to assess for dental caries. However, many pediatricians reported barriers to fully implementing preventive oral health activities into their practices. Pediatricians and dentists need to work together to improve the quality of preventive oral health care available to all young children.

Background: There is a lack of access to oral health services for American children. Some propose that pediatricians be trained to deliver preventive screening and education to families until they access a dental home. However, little is known about the current oral health training provided during pediatric residency. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the oral health training that pediatricians receive during residency and their attitudes toward performing basic oral health screenings., Methods: The American Academy of Pediatrics Survey of Graduating Residents is an annual, randomly sampled national survey of graduating pediatric residents. The 2006 Survey of Graduating Residents surveyed 611 residents and examined their perception of their oral health training and their attitudes about performing oral health screenings., Results: Thirty-five percent of residents received no oral health training during residency. Of those who did, 73% had <3 hours of training, and only 14% had clinical observation time with a dentist. Seventy-one percent felt that they had too little oral health training, and only 21% felt that their residency was very good or excellent in preparing them to perform oral health-risk assessments. Residents felt confident in their ability to offer anticipatory guidance but not to do the more technical oral health screenings. The majority of residents believed that pediatricians should conduct basic oral health screenings. Multiple regression analysis indicated that residents who received >or=3 hours of oral health training, who applied for jobs in the inner city, and whose career goal was to work in primary practice are those most likely to support this idea., Conclusions: Pediatric residents currently receive little training in oral health, and the majority wish for more. This study shows that oral health training during residency can increase pediatrician confidence in participating in important oral health promotion tasks, including anticipatory guidance, oral screenings, and oral health-risk assessment.

Introduction: Epiphytic plants are abundant in rainforests and often serve as traps for litter and dust falling from the canopy. As it accumulates, this material can form nutrient rich soils, which are likely involved in local nutrient cycling and ecological processes. Methods: To explore spatial and temporal variation in the influence of suspended soils on local nutrient cycles, we compared the physical, chemical and biological properties of suspended soils from the locally-dominant epiphytic Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus L.) to those of three types of forest floor soils (soil collected from upslope, downslope, and underneath the host tree) in a tropical monsoon rainforest in Bawangling National Nature Reserve on Hainan Island, China. Results: Suspended and forest floor soils were all acidic, with suspended soils having much higher organic matter (66.84%) and water content (~ 300%) than forest floor soils. Suspended soils contained significantly more available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium and had much higher urease, cellulase, and catalase activities, indicating that they harbored diverse microbial communities with higher decomposition and biomineralization activity. Discussion: Physicochemical traits of suspended soil and soil collected from under the host tree were significantly more similar in the rainy season than in the dry season, suggesting that suspended soils may contribute to local nutrient cycling as they are flushed out of epiphytic plants and enrich stemflow and forest floor soils. Conclusion: Thus, suspended soils play a role in local nutrient cycling, especially during the rainy season. This study provides empirical support for the seasonality and heterogeneity of forest floor soil enrichment by suspended soils in tropical monsoon rainforests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acanthotomicus suncei is a newly discovered bark beetle in China that causes substantial mortality to American sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua individuals. Currently, the number of host trees killed by this bark beetle is increasing. Climate change has exacerbated this problem, causing its range to expand. Considering the wide global distribution of its host, Liquidambar styraciflua, the pest is likely to continue to spread and expand. Here, using CLIMEX and the Random Forests model, we projected the potential global distribution of A. suncei concerning the host L. styraciflua. Under future change scenarios, the total suitable area is projected to decrease to a certain extent. However, the changes in its original habitats provide three spreading trends to Southwest, Central, and Northeast China. Meanwhile, suitable areas in some countries in Southeast and South Asia bordering China are also expected to show an increased distribution, which poses substantial challenges for forest managers. Our projected results provide significant data regarding the current and future potential distribution of A. suncei worldwide, which could be used as a reference for recognizing areas currently vulnerable to potential invasions by this pest. Acanthotomicus suncei is a newly discovered bark beetle in China that significantly threatens the American sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua. In recent years, this pest has spread from its original habitat to many surrounding cities, causing substantial economic and ecological losses. Considering the wide global distribution of its host, Liquidambar styraciflua, this pest is likely to continue to spread and expand. Once the pest colonizes a new climatically suitable area, the consequences could be severe. Therefore, we employed the CLIMEX and Random Forests model to predict the potential suitable distribution of A. suncei globally. The results showed that A. suncei was mainly distributed in Southern China, in South Hokkaido in Japan, Southern USA, the La Plata Plain in South America, southeastern Australia, and the northern Mediterranean; these areas are located in subtropical monsoon, monsoonal humid climates, or Mediterranean climate zones. Seasonal rainfall, especially in winter, is a key environmental factor that affects the suitable distribution of A. suncei. Under future climates, the total suitable area of A. suncei is projected to decrease to a certain extent. However, changes in its original habitat require serious attention. We found that A. suncei exhibited a spreading trend in Southwest, Central, and Northeast China. Suitable areas in some countries in Southeast and South Asia bordering China are also expected to show an increased distribution. The outward spread of this pest via sea transportation cannot be ignored. Hence, quarantine efforts should be concentrated in high-suitability regions determined in this study to protect against the occurrence of hosts that may contain A. suncei, thereby avoiding its long-distance spread. Long-term sentinel surveillance and control measures should be carried out as soon as A. suncei is detected, especially in regions with high suitability. Thus, our findings establish a theoretical foundation for quarantine and control measures targeting A. suncei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms can react to environmental variation by altering their phenotype, and such phenotypic plasticity is often adaptive. This plasticity contributes to the diversity of phenotypes across the tree of life. Generally, the production of these phenotypes must be preceded by assessment, where the individual acquires information about its environment and phenotype relative to that environment, and then determines if and how to respond with an alternative phenotype. The role of assessment in adaptive plasticity is, therefore, crucial. In this Review, we (1) highlight the need for explicitly considering the role of assessment in plasticity; (2) present two different models for how assessment and the facultative production of phenotypes are related; and (3) describe an overarching framework for how assessment evolves. In doing so, we articulate avenues of future work and suggest that explicitly considering the role of assessment in the evolution of plasticity is key to explaining how and when plasticity occurs. Moreover, we emphasize the need to understand the role of assessment in adaptive versus maladaptive plasticity, which is an issue that will become increasingly important in a rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zoology's dark matter comprises hyperdiverse, poorly known taxa that are numerically dominant but largely unstudied, even in temperate regions where charismatic taxa are well understood. Dark taxa are everywhere, but high diversity, abundance, and small size have historically stymied their study. We demonstrate how entomological dark matter can be elucidated using high-throughput DNA barcoding ("megabarcoding"). We reveal the high abundance and diversity of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in Sweden using 31,800 specimens from 37 sites across four seasonal periods. We investigate the number of scuttle fly species in Sweden and the environmental factors driving community changes across time and space. Results: Swedish scuttle fly diversity is much higher than previously known, with 549 putative specie) detected, compared to 374 previously recorded species. Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities reveals that scuttle fly communities are highly structured by latitude and strongly driven by climatic factors. Large dissimilarities between sites and seasons are driven by turnover rather than nestedness. Climate change is predicted to significantly affect the 47% of species that show significant responses to mean annual temperature. Results were robust regardless of whether haplotype diversity or species-proxies were used as response variables. Additionally, species-level models of common taxa adequately predict overall species richness. Conclusions: Understanding the bulk of the diversity around us is imperative during an era of biodiversity change. We show that dark insect taxa can be efficiently characterised and surveyed with megabarcoding. Undersampling of rare taxa and choice of operational taxonomic units do not alter the main ecological inferences, making it an opportune time to tackle zoology's dark matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts and extreme rainfall events are two of the hazards that affect many people in the world and are frequent and complex hazards, the rate of occurrence and magnitude of which are expected to increase in a changing climate. In this context, understanding how different actors perceive changes in climate, drought, and extreme rainfall events and their impacts is relevant in contributing to successfully implementing adaptation strategies to reduce their impacts. This research seeks to explore the main changes the climate has undergone and the impacts of drought and precipitation events, as perceived at local levels by different stakeholders. A multi-method approach was applied, including qualitative methods such as observation, 51 semi-structured interviews, and document reviews in Chañaral and the Aconcagua Valley, Chile. This research shows what the perceived changes in climate are and that drought and extreme rainfall events have affected the well-being of the local people by severely impacting the economy, the environment, social interactions, quality of life, and human health. Additionally, the perception of climate change and its impacts vary depending on the type of hazard and the social, geographical, and environmental contexts in which communities live. This study is useful as it has generated knowledge relevant to inform policy decisions, practice, and theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the liver stem cells (LSCs) holds great promise for new insights into liver diseases and liver regeneration. However, the heterogenicity and plasticity of liver cells have made it controversial. Here, by employing single‐cell RNA‐sequencing technology, transcriptome features of Krt19+ bile duct lineage cells isolated from Krt19CreERT; Rosa26R‐GFP reporter mouse livers are examined. Distinct biliary epithelial cells which include adult LSCs, as well as their downstream hepatocytes and cholangiocytes are identified. Importantly, a novel cell surface LSCs marker, CD63, as well as CD56, which distinguished active and quiescent LSCs are discovered. Cell expansion and bi‐potential differentiation in culture demonstrate the stemness ability of CD63+ cells in vitro. Transplantation and lineage tracing of CD63+ cells confirm their contribution to liver cell mass in vivo upon injury. Moreover, CD63+CD56+ cells are proved to be activated LSCs with vigorous proliferation ability. Further studies confirm that CD63+CD56− quiescent LSCs express VEGFR2 and FGFR1, and they can be activated to proliferation and differentiation through combination of growth factors: VEGF‐A and bFGF. These findings define an authentic adult liver stem cells compartment, make a further understanding of fate regulation on LSCs, and highlight its contribution to liver during pathophysiologic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The floral biology of Calamus is relatively unknown except for several species. In this study, Calamus lobbianus and Calamus pygmaeus were selected to represent the non-climbing rattan of the Sundaland's flagellate group. Observations on phenology, floral rewards and floral visitors as well as experiments on the breeding mechanism and operational sex ratio were performed for both species. For both species, anthesis started in the early morning for pistillate and staminate plants, ended by late noon (staminate plants) but lasted till the next day in pistillate plants for both species. Although both species appeared to be aseasonal in flowering, C. lobbianus exhibited a male-biased population while C. pygmaeus did not exhibit any sex bias. Nectar was observed to be extruded from the base of the petals of C. lobbianus of the staminate flowers and sterile staminate flowers of the pistillate plants. The concentration and volume of the nectar of the staminate flower and sterile staminate flower of C. lobbianus peaked at c. 11% and 9 pL around 1100 (Day 1) and c. 13% and 8 pL around 0930 (Day 1), respectively, but only appeared as a layer of glistening exudate in C. pygmaeus. Floral scent was not detected in any of the inflorescences of both species. Several insect visitors were observed to be the primary visitors of both Calamus species which include two species of Tetragonula, a species of Liostenogaster sp., and Stenodyneriellus sp. Experiments on breeding mechanism of C. lobbianus and C. pygmaeus indicate that both species are most likely apomictic. C. pygmaeus is capable of vegetative propagation through the rooting at the tip of inflorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]