scholarly journals Does quantity matter to a stingless bee?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Eckert ◽  
Manuel Bohn ◽  
Johannes Spaethe
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Training Stimulus ◽  
Salient Feature ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Stimulus Dimension ◽  
Stingless Bee ◽  
Quantity Discrimination ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Growing Body

AbstractQuantitative information is omnipresent in the world and a wide range of species has been shown to use quantities to optimize their decisions. While most studies have focused on vertebrates, a growing body of research demonstrates that also insects such as honeybees possess basic quantitative abilities that might aid them in finding profitable flower patches. However, it remains unclear if for insects, quantity is a salient feature relative to other stimulus dimensions, or if it is only used as a “last resort” strategy in case other stimulus dimensions are inconclusive. Here, we tested the stingless bee Trigona fuscipennis, a species representative of a vastly understudied group of tropical pollinators, in a quantity discrimination task. In four experiments, we trained wild, free-flying bees on stimuli that depicted either one or four elements. Subsequently, bees were confronted with a choice between stimuli that matched the training stimulus either in terms of quantity or another stimulus dimension. We found that bees were able to discriminate between the two quantities, but performance differed depending on which quantity was rewarded. Furthermore, quantity was more salient than was shape. However, quantity did not measurably influence the bees' decisions when contrasted with color or surface area. Our results demonstrate that just as honeybees, small-brained stingless bees also possess basic quantitative abilities. Moreover, invertebrate pollinators seem to utilize quantity not only as "last resort" but as a salient stimulus dimension. Our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on quantitative cognition in invertebrate species and adds to our understanding of the evolution of numerical cognition.

scholarly journals Superior continuous quantity discrimination in a freshwater turtle

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng-Chun Lin ◽  
Martin J. Whiting ◽  
Ming-Ying Hsieh ◽  
Pei-Jen Lee Shaner ◽  
Si-Min Lin
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Numerical Cognition ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Freshwater Turtle ◽  
White Background ◽  
Quantity Discrimination ◽  
Gradual Improvement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Quantitative Performance

Abstract Background Quantity discrimination, the ability to discriminate a magnitude of difference or discrete numerical information, plays a key role in animal behavior. While quantitative ability has been well documented in fishes, birds, mammals, and even in previously unstudied invertebrates and amphibians, it is still poorly understood in reptiles and has never been tested in an aquatic turtle despite the fact that evidence is accumulating that reptiles possess cognitive skills and learning ability. To help address this deficiency in reptiles, we investigated the quantitative ability of an Asian freshwater turtle, Mauremys sinensis, using red cubes on a white background in a trained quantity discrimination task. While spontaneous quantity discrimination methods are thought to be more ecologically relevant, training animals on a quantity discrimination task allows more comparability across taxa. Results We assessed the turtles’ quantitative performance in a series of tests with increasing quantity ratios and numerosities. Surprisingly, the turtles were able to discriminate quantities of up to 9 versus 10 (ratio = 0.9), which shows a good quantitative ability that is comparable to some endotherms. Our results showed that the turtles’ quantitative performance followed Weber’s law, in which success rate decreased with increasing quantity ratio across a wide range of numerosities. Furthermore, the gradual improvement of their success rate across different experiments and phases suggested that the turtles possess learning ability. Conclusions Reptile quantitative ability has long been ignored and therefore is likely under-estimated. More comparative research on numerical cognition across a diversity of species will greatly contribute to a clearer understanding of quantitative ability in animals and whether it has evolved convergently in diverse taxa.

Confronting Biological Reductionism From a Social Justice Agenda: Transformative Agency and Activist Stance

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Stetsenko
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Resources ◽  
Educational Success ◽  
Developmental Systems ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Time Critical ◽  
Biological Reductionism

This article draws attention to contemporary research and theorizing that counters and resolutely dispels biological determinism laden with a plethora of mythic racial, gender, dis/ability and other types of unproven assumptions, conjectures, and biases. Based on a wide range of emerging conceptual breakthroughs and a growing body of evidence across neurosciences, epigenetics, developmental systems perspectives, and activity-centered cultural–historical frameworks, the argument can be made that all persons have infinite potential—incalculable in advance, unlimited, and not predefined in terms of any putatively inborn “endowments.” From this perspective, educational success is correlative with access to social resources and mediators such as teacher experience and skills. These and other radical implications can be drawn out with more force if this emerging body of anti-reductionist and anti-biodeterminist knowledge is connected to and integrates critical and sociocultural scholarship with agendas of social justice and equality such as exemplified in works by Marx and Vygotsky. At the same time, critical and sociocultural scholarship can draw on this emerging body of knowledge to support its struggles for a better society and education. For these two broad strands of scholarship to connect and benefit from each other, a revision of the role of subjectivity and activism in research is required, with steps in this direction discussed in this article.

scholarly journals Quantitative linear dichroism imaging of molecular processes in living cells made simple by open software tools

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Bondar ◽  
Olga Rybakova ◽  
Josef Melcr ◽  
Jan Dohnálek ◽  
Petro Khoroshyy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Systems ◽  
Linear Dichroism ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Software Tools ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Polarization Microscopy ◽  
Molecular Processes ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractFluorescence-detected linear dichroism microscopy allows observing various molecular processes in living cells, as well as obtaining quantitative information on orientation of fluorescent molecules associated with cellular features. Such information can provide insights into protein structure, aid in development of genetically encoded probes, and allow determinations of lipid membrane properties. However, quantitating and interpreting linear dichroism in biological systems has been laborious and unreliable. Here we present a set of open source ImageJ-based software tools that allow fast and easy linear dichroism visualization and quantitation, as well as extraction of quantitative information on molecular orientations, even in living systems. The tools were tested on model synthetic lipid vesicles and applied to a variety of biological systems, including observations of conformational changes during G-protein signaling in living cells, using fluorescent proteins. Our results show that our tools and model systems are applicable to a wide range of molecules and polarization-resolved microscopy techniques, and represent a significant step towards making polarization microscopy a mainstream tool of biological imaging.

An Examination of Women's Perspectives on Power

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia L. Miller ◽  
A. Gaye Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Personal Authority ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Men's Experience ◽  
The Way

Historically, theoretical and popular conceptions about power have not included or addressed women's experiences. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about women by examining women's perceptions of and relationship to power. One hundred twenty-five women, ranging in age from 21 to 63, were asked to define and explore power through a variety of structured and open-ended questions. The results showed that women's definition of power differed significantly from their perception of society's definition of power, as well as from the way power has traditionally been conceptualized. More theoretical and empirical attention should be given to understanding the role of personal authority in both women's and men's experience of power.

Stepping Outside the Echo Chamber: Is Intellectual Humility Associated with Less Political Myside Bias?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shauna Marie Bowes ◽  
Thomas H Costello ◽  
Caroline Lee ◽  
Stacey McElroy-Heltzel ◽  
Don E. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salient Feature ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
The Political ◽  
Intellectual Humility ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Political Left ◽  
Echo Chamber ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Myside Bias ◽  
Psychological Features

In recent years, an upsurge of polarization has been a salient feature of political discourse in America. A small but growing body of research has examined the potential relevance of intellectual humility (IH) to political polarization. In the present investigation, we extend this work to political myside bias, testing the hypothesis that IH is associated with less bias in two community samples (N1 = 498; N2 = 477). In line with our expectations, measures of IH were negatively correlated with political myside bias across paradigms, political topics, and samples. These relations were robust to controlling for humility. We also examined ideological asymmetries in the relations between IH and political myside bias, finding that IH-bias relations were statistically equivalent in members of the political left and right. Notwithstanding important limitations and caveats, these data establish IH as one of a small handful psychological features known to predict less political myside bias.

The Effects of Information and Support on Individuals Awaiting Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia L. Russell ◽  
Kristi Brown
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Transplantation ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Nursing Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cadaveric Kidney ◽  
Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation

Context No empirical studies exist to direct nursing interventions for individuals during the long period of waiting for a transplant. Objective To measure the effect of information and support on hope and uncertainty for individuals awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. Design Randomized, controlled study. Setting A university-affiliated hospital in the Midwest from 1997 to 1999. Patients Fifty participants awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. Interventions The control group received no intervention phone calls or mailings, which was the current standard of care. The treatment group received phone calls and mailings once every month for 6 months. Main Outcome Measures Hope, measured by the Herth Hope Index, and uncertainty, measured by the Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 6 months later. Results No statistically significant effect of the nursing intervention was found on hope and uncertainty in this sample (F = 0.5322, P = .81). Hope was found to be negatively related to uncertainty both before ( r = $0.53, P = .0001) and after ( r = $0.59, P = .0001) intervention. No significant change was found between hope before and after intervention, and uncertainty before and after intervention in the treatment group (F = 1.10, P = .40) or the control group. Conclusion The individuals indicated that definite needs were met by the information and support intervention even though the results did not statistically support the effect of the nursing intervention. Conclusions Several conclusions can be drawn from the findings of this study. First, even though the nursing intervention of providing information and support did not have a statistically significant effect on levels of hope and uncertainty in individuals awaiting kidney transplantation, anecdotal reports from the respondents indicated that the phone calls and mailed information were helpful and appreciated. Valuable information, potentially impacting the outcomes of kidney transplantation, was gathered by the researchers and shared with the transplant team. Secondly, levels of hope were relatively high, whereas levels of uncertainty were moderate in this sample of individuals waiting for cadaveric kidney transplantation. Furthermore, in this sample, the average time since diagnosis of ESRD was more than 4 years and the average waiting time was more than 1 year. There may have been a change over time from viewing the waiting experience as a negative experience to a positive opportunity. Thirdly, the finding of a negative relationship between hope and uncertainty provided support to the growing body of knowledge of this association. Finally, time on the waiting list, gender, and marital status were not associated with levels of hope or uncertainty. Generally, the findings of this study are consistent with existing literature and add to the growing body of knowledge related to the midrange theories of hope and uncertainty.

scholarly journals Quantifying seed production by volunteer canola (Brassica napus) and Sinapis arvensis

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-497
Author(s):  
E Soltani ◽  
A Soltani ◽  
S Galeshi ◽  
F Ghaderi-far ◽  
E Zeinali
Keyword(s):  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Sinapis Arvensis ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Sowing Dates ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Close Relationship

Volunteer canola (Brassica napus) and Sinapis arvensis are well identified weeds of different cropping systems. Quantitative information on regarding seed production by them is limited. Such information is necessary to model dynamics of soil seed banks. The aim of this work was to quantify seed production as a function of the size of those weeds. A wide range of plant size was produced by using a fan seeding system performed at two sowing dates (environments). Plant size varied from 3 to 167 g per plant for canola and from 6 to 104 g per plant for S. arvensis. Seed production ranged from 543 to14,773 seeds per plant for canola, and from 264 to 10,336 seeds per plant for S. arvensis. There was a close relationship between seed production per plant and plant size which was well-described by a power function (y = 130.6x0.94; R² = 0.93 for canola and y = 28x1.27; R² = 0.95 for S. arvensis). There was also strong relationships among the number of pods produced in individual plants and the quantity of seeds produced (g per plant) with the size of the plant. The relationships found in this study can be used in dynamic seed bank models of volunteer canola and S. arvensis.

scholarly journals A framework for corrosion assessment in metallic structures, from data analysis to risk based inspection

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Xiaofei Cui ◽  
Xiaoxia Liang ◽  
Ujjwal Bharadwaj
Keyword(s):  
Corrosion Damage ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Steel Bridge ◽  
Destructive Testing ◽  
Metallic Structures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Corrosion Assessment ◽  
Metallic Corrosion ◽  
Non Destructive

Metallic corrosion is a big challenge affecting many sectors in a nation’s economy. Necessary corrosion prevention actions have to be taken in order to maintain the integrity of engineering assets susceptible to corrosion. This paper proposes a holistic framework to support the management of corrosion in metallic structures. It is a fully automation corrosion assessment process, with risk updated by Bayesian theory. Through analyzing the thickness data measured by non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, the influence of corrosion on the component can be estimated using statistical methods, which will enable users to make decisions on maintenance based on quantitative information. A case study using corrosion data from a steel bridge is included to demonstrate the proposed framework. It improved the conventional corrosion analysis method by the proposed statistical approach using representative thickness data, which aims to take full use of the remaining life. This model can be adapted to a wide range of metallic structure suffering from corrosion damage.

scholarly journals Horizontally transferred genes in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi encode enzymes and are expressed during early development

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra M Hernandez ◽  
Joseph F Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Horizontal Gene Transfer ◽  
Early Development ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Mnemiopsis Leidyi ◽  
Uncharacterized Protein ◽  
Phylogenetic Incongruence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Growing Body

Horizontal gene transfer has had major impacts on the biology of a wide range of organisms from antibiotic resistance in bacteria to adaptations to herbivory in arthropods. A growing body of literature shows that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between non-animals and animals is more commonplace than previously thought. In this study, we present a thorough investigation of HGT in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. We applied tests of phylogenetic incongruence to identify nine genes that were likely transferred horizontally early in ctenophore evolution from bacteria and non-metazoan eukaryotes. All but one of these HGTs (an uncharacterized protein) appear to perform enzymatic activities in M. leidyi, supporting previous observations that enzymes are more likely to be retained after HGT events. We found that the majority of these nine horizontally transferred genes were expressed during early development, suggesting that they are active and play a role in the biology of M. leidyi. This is the first report of HGT in ctenophores, and contributes to an ever-growing literature on the prevalence of genetic information flowing between non-animals and animals.

The Physical Environment

Monteverde ◽  
2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Clark ◽  
Robert O. Lawton
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Geologic History ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Physical Setting

Because biological diversity is directly related to diversity of the physical environment, a clear picture of the physical setting of the Cordillera is crucial to understand its ecology and conservation. The physical setting of Monteverde and the Cordillera de Tilarán encompasses a wide range of environmental conditions. The size, position across the trade windflow, geology, erosional dissection, and hydrology of the Cordillera interact to produce extraordinary physical diversity that parallels its great biological diversity. A major difference between tropical montane and lowland regions is the way biological diversity is distributed across the landscape. Montane regions are usually less diverse at the scale of 0.01-0.1 km2 but are as rich in species as nearby lowland areas at scales of 10-100 km2. We have two goals in this chapter. First, we review what is known of the climate and weather, geology and geologic history, geomorphology, soils, and hydrology of Monteverde. Our account focuses on higher elevations in Monteverde and wetter areas on the Caribbean slope, with less attention to the drier environments on the lower Pacific slope. Second, we point out areas where our knowledge is incomplete and suggest promising lines of future research. Although the geology and geomorphology of Monteverde are moderately well known, our knowledge of the rates of many geomorphic processes, particularly erosion, is poor. We also lack information on soils and hydrology, particularly of wind-driven cloud and precipitation inputs, evapotranspiration, and stream outputs from forests and other land-use types in Monteverde. Quantitative information on how variability in the physical environment interacts with biotic processes at the population, community, and ecosystem levels is scant. Most of the climate and weather data were collected at 1450 m at the Pensiόn (1956-1971), at 1520 m at John Campbell's residence (1972 to present), and intermittently throughout or near the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve (MCFP; Lawton and Dryer 1980, Crump et al. 1992, Clark 1994, Bohlman et al. 1995, W. Calvert and A. Nelson, unpubl. data).

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