Long-Term, in-the-Wild Study of Feedback about Speech Intelligibility for K-12 Students Attending Class via a Telepresence Robot

Abstract Plants are often exposed not only to short-term (S-) heat stress but also to diurnal long-term (L-) heat stress over several consecutive days. To reveal the mechanisms underlying L-heat stress tolerance, we here used a forward genetic screening for sensitive to long-term heat (sloh) mutants and isolated sloh4. The mutant was hypersensitive to L- but not S-heat stress. The causal gene of sloh4 was identical to MIP3 encoding a member of the MAIGO2 (MAG2) tethering complex, which is composed of the MAG2, MIP1, MIP2, and MIP3 subunits and is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Although sloh4/mip3 was hypersensitive to L-heat stress, the sensitivity of the mag2-3 and mip1–1 mutants was similar to that of the wild type. Under L-heat stress, the ER stress and the following unfolded protein response (UPR) were more pronounced in sloh4 than in the wild type. Transcript levels of bZIP60-regulated UPR genes were strongly increased in sloh4 under L-heat stress. Two processes known to be mediated by INOSITOL REQUIRING ENZYME1 (IRE1)—accumulation of the spliced bZIP60 transcript and a decrease in the transcript levels of PR4 and PRX34, encoding secretory proteins—were observed in sloh4 in response to L-heat stress. These findings suggest that misfolded proteins generated in sloh4 under L-heat stress may be recognized by IRE1 but not bZIP28, resulting in initiation of the UPR via activated bZIP60. Therefore, it would be possible that only MIP3 in MAG2 complex has an additional function in L-heat tolerance, which is not related to the ER–Golgi vesicle tethering.

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Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2011.2062 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 279 (1733) ◽

pp. 1560-1566 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Lee Koren ◽

Shinichi Nakagawa ◽

Terry Burke ◽

Kiran K. Soma ◽

Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stress Hormones ◽

Passer Domesticus ◽

House Sparrows ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Darwinian Fitness ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽

In The Wild ◽

The Subject ◽

As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

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Population genetics of the coral Acropora millepora: Towards a genomic predictor of bleaching

10.1101/867754 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Zachary L. Fuller ◽

Veronique J.L. Mocellin ◽

Luke Morris ◽

Neal Cantin ◽

Jihanne Shepherd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Wide Association Study ◽

Balancing Selection ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Genome Sequences ◽

Acropora Millepora ◽

Genome Wide ◽

A Genome ◽

In The Wild

AbstractAlthough reef-building corals are rapidly declining worldwide, responses to bleaching vary both within and among species. Because these inter-individual differences are partly heritable, they should in principle be predictable from genomic data. Towards that goal, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the coral Acropora millepora. We then obtained whole genome sequences for 237 phenotyped samples collected at 12 reefs distributed along the Great Barrier Reef, among which we inferred very little population structure. Scanning the genome for evidence of local adaptation, we detected signatures of long-term balancing selection in the heat-shock co-chaperone sacsin. We further used 213 of the samples to conduct a genome-wide association study of visual bleaching score, incorporating the polygenic score derived from it into a predictive model for bleaching in the wild. These results set the stage for the use of genomics-based approaches in conservation strategies.

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Orchid Reintroduction Based on Seed Germination-Promoting Mycorrhizal Fungi Derived From Protocorms or Seedlings

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.701152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Da-Ke Zhao ◽

Marc-André Selosse ◽

Limin Wu ◽

Yan Luo ◽

Shi-Cheng Shao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Essential Element ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

New Approach ◽

Practical Procedure ◽

In The Wild ◽

Orchid Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Ecological Specificity

Orchids are among the most endangered in the plant kingdom. Lack of endosperm in their seeds renders orchids to depend on nutrients provided by orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) for seed germination and seedling formation in the wild. OMF that parasitize in germination seeds is an essential element for orchid seedling formation, which can also help orchid reintroduction. Considering the limitations of the previous orchid reintroduction technology based on seed germination-promoting OMF (sgOMF) sourced from orchid roots, an innovative approach is proposed here in which orchid seeds are directly co-sown with sgOMF carrying ecological specificity from protocorms/seedlings. Based on this principle, an integrative and practical procedure concerning related ecological factors is further raised for re-constructing long-term and self-sustained orchid populations. We believe that this new approach will benefit the reintroduction of endangered orchids in nature.

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A nonlinear relationship between prediction errors and learning rates in human reinforcement learning

10.1101/751222 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Erdem Pulcu

Keyword(s):

Reinforcement Learning ◽

Nonlinear Relationship ◽

Prediction Errors ◽

Learning Rates ◽

The Face ◽

In The Wild ◽

Actual Outcome ◽

Update Rules ◽

Different Sources

AbstractWe are living in a dynamic world in which stochastic relationships between cues and outcome events create different sources of uncertainty1 (e.g. the fact that not all grey clouds bring rain). Living in an uncertain world continuously probes learning systems in the brain, guiding agents to make better decisions. This is a type of value-based decision-making which is very important for survival in the wild and long-term evolutionary fitness. Consequently, reinforcement learning (RL) models describing cognitive/computational processes underlying learning-based adaptations have been pivotal in behavioural2,3 and neural sciences4–6, as well as machine learning7,8. This paper demonstrates the suitability of novel update rules for RL, based on a nonlinear relationship between prediction errors (i.e. difference between the agent’s expectation and the actual outcome) and learning rates (i.e. a coefficient with which agents update their beliefs about the environment), that can account for learning-based adaptations in the face of environmental uncertainty. These models illustrate how learners can flexibly adapt to dynamically changing environments.

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Teaching Future Educators During a Global Pandemic

IAFOR Journal of Education ◽

10.22492/ije.9.2.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 25-36

Author(s):

Jacquelynne Anne Boivin

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Private Higher Education ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Public And Private ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The Us ◽

Private Higher Education Institutions ◽

K 12

While schools are the center of attention in many regards throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, programs that prepare educators have not received nearly as much attention. How has the reliance on technology, shifts in daily norms with health precautions, and other pandemic-related changes affected how colleges and universities are preparing teachers for their careers? This article walks the reader through the pandemic, from spring 2020, when the virus first shut down the US in most ways, to the winter of 2021. The authors, two educator preparation faculty members from both public and private higher education institutions in Massachusetts, reflect on their experiences navigating the challenges and enriching insights the pandemic brought to their work. Considerations for future implications for the field of teacher-preparation are delineated to think about the long-term effects this pandemic could have on higher education and K-12 education.

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Senescence in the wild: Insights from a long-term study on Seychelles warblers

Experimental Gerontology ◽

10.1016/j.exger.2015.08.019 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 71 ◽

pp. 69-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Martijn Hammers ◽

Sjouke A. Kingma ◽

Kat Bebbington ◽

Janske van de Crommenacker ◽

Lewis G. Spurgin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Term Study ◽

Long Term Study ◽

In The Wild

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Preschool speech intelligibility and vocabulary skills predict long-term speech and language outcomes following cochlear implantation in early childhood

Cochlear Implants International ◽

10.1179/1754762813y.0000000043 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 200-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Irina Castellanos ◽

William G Kronenberger ◽

Jessica Beer ◽

Shirley C Henning ◽

Bethany G Colson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Cochlear Implantation ◽

Speech Intelligibility ◽

Language Outcomes ◽

Speech And Language ◽

Vocabulary Skills

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Colonization of gut microbiota by plasmid-carrying bacteria is facilitated by evolutionary adaptation to antibiotic treatment

The ISME Journal ◽

10.1038/s41396-021-01171-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peng Zhang ◽

Daqing Mao ◽

Huihui Gao ◽

Liyang Zheng ◽

Zeyou Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multidrug Resistance ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Evolutionary Adaptation ◽

Antibiotic Exposure ◽

Resistance Protein ◽

K 12

AbstractMultidrug-resistant plasmid-carrying bacteria are of particular clinical concern as they could transfer antibiotic resistance genes to other bacterial species. However, little is known whether evolutionary adaptation of plasmid-carrying bacteria after long-term antibiotic exposure could affect their subsequent colonization of the human gut. Herein, we combined a long-term evolutionary model based on Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 and the multidrug-resistant plasmid RP4 with in vivo colonization experiments in mice. We found that the evolutionary adaptation of plasmid-carrying bacteria to antibiotic exposure facilitated colonization of the murine gut and subsequent plasmid transfer to gut bacteria. The evolved plasmid-carrying bacteria exhibited phenotypic alterations, including multidrug resistance, enhanced bacterial growth and biofilm formation capability and decreased plasmid fitness cost, which might be jointly caused by chromosomal mutations (SNPs in rpoC, proQ, and hcaT) and transcriptional modifications. The upregulated transcriptional genes, e.g., type 1 fimbrial-protein pilus (fimA and fimH) and the surface adhesin gene (flu) were likely responsible for the enhanced biofilm-forming capacity. The gene tnaA that encodes a tryptophanase-catalyzing indole formation was transcriptionally upregulated, and increased indole products participated in facilitating the maximum population density of the evolved strains. Furthermore, several chromosomal genes encoding efflux pumps (acriflavine resistance proteins A and B (acrA, acrB), outer-membrane protein (tolC), multidrug-resistance protein (mdtM), and macrolide export proteins A and B (macA, macB)) were transcriptionally upregulated, while most plasmid-harboring genes (conjugal transfer protein (traF) and (trbB), replication protein gene (trfA), beta-lactamase TEM precursor (blaTEM), aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase (aphA) and tetracycline resistance protein A (tetA)) were downregulated. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that evolutionary adaptation of plasmid-carrying bacteria in an antibiotic-influenced environment facilitated colonization of the murine gut by the bacteria and plasmids.

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Coda: Some Reflections on the Long-Term Ecological Research Program

Long-Term Ecological Research ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199380213.003.0065 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

William H. Schlesinger

Keyword(s):

Ecological Research ◽

Environmental Biology ◽

College Age ◽

Lake Washington ◽

Long Term Ecological Research ◽

History Of ◽

Personal Reflections ◽

K 12 ◽

Long Term Studies

Ecology has a history of long-term studies that offer great insight to ecosystem processes. The advent of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program institutionalized long-term studies with some core measurements at a selection of sites across North America. The most successful LTER sites are those that have an energetic leader with a clear vision, who has guided the work over many years. Several LTER sites have established successful education programs for K–12 and college-age students, as well as for science policy-makers. Implementation of more and better cross-site work would be welcome. The various essays in this volume reflect a broad range of experiences among participants in the LTER program. Nearly all are positive: only mad dogs bite the hand that feeds them. All authors appreciate the advantages of long-term funding for their research and lament that funding of the LTER program by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is so limited. There are numerous testimonials for how the LTER program has changed and broadened participation in collaborative science. The real question is whether the LTER program has allowed science to proceed faster, deeper, broader, and with more critical insight than if the program had not been created. To answer that question, I offer a few personal reflections on the LTER program. First, we must note that long-term research existed well before the LTER program. Edmondson began his long-term measurements of exogenous phosphorus in Lake Washington in the early 1950s (Edmondson 1991). Across the country, Herb Bormann and Gene Likens began long-term studies, now in their 50th year, of forest biogeochemistry at Hubbard Brook in 1963 (Likens 2013). Each of these long-term studies enjoys ample coverage in every text of introductory ecology. The advantages of long-term research are undisputed among those who are funded for it. Indeed, NSF embraces a wide variety of decade-long studies with its Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) program. The authors of several chapters recall how Howard Odum’s early work focused their attention on the connections between large units of the landscape.

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